Odyssey of the Will of 'D'
by Envoy of the White Moon
Summary: A god appears, deciding to flip the fate of the world on its stomach while riding it like a rodeo clown. What does it mean for the world? Well a few extra people along for the ride, a world shaken to its very foundations, a heroic wannabe Pirate King and his crew and romance galore since the god is bored out of his mind and it amuses him. Serious? Let's find out. Definite AU. R&R?
1. Chapter 1 A God's Whim

**Disclaimer: All characters, items and places associated with One Piece belongs to Oda-sensei. I only own the plot thread that I'm currently weaving using his works.**

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 **READ FIRST!**

 **I MEAN IT, READ THIS FIRST!**

 **UNLESS YOU ARE GOING TO READ THIS WARNING, STOP NOW!**

 **If you are uncomfortable with harems or incest, or were looking for a purely LuNa pairing, then I suggest you turn back now. There will be Luffy and other women moments, but a majority of the moments will be focused on Luffy and Nami and their relationship. If you do not have the will power to read any of the aforementioned tags, then please press the back but now.**

 **And to those of you looking for an epic OP fanfic, then please, read on.**

 **DID YOU READ THE WARNING YET? IF NOT, READ IT!**

 **TURN BACK NOW IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE WARNING!**

 **END OF THE LINE IF YOU DIDN'T READ THE WARNING!**

 **IF YOU AREN'T GOING TO READ IT, THEN YOU'RE READING THIS AT YOUR OWN PERIL!**

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Odyssey of the Will of 'D'

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Chapter 1

A God's Whim

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"So spacious!" Luffy shouted in wonder as he beheld the interior of the cave he had taken refuge in. A few hours ago after leaving Dadan and the other mountain bandits in search of his brother Ace, the young six year old had lost his way in mountains when suddenly it began to pour heavily. Not willing to further lose himself in the heavy rain Luffy found refuge in one of the many natural caves of the mountains. Seeing as the rain was not going to let up soon, Luffy had decided instead to explore the cave, his young mind equating it to an adventure.

He now found himself deep into the cave gazing in wonder at the beautiful natural formations of stalagmites, stalactites and columns that jutted out from the floor and roof of the cave. Despite being so far into the cave, there were many skylights that allowed what little light there was to bleed into the cave. The rain as well was an unwelcome guest that followed the weak light, though they were deposited into the pools of waiting water beneath those skylights. What was ever more beautiful was that there was signs of plant life, as many different types of flowers bloomed near the pools.

All in all, this was probably the most awe inspiring place Luffy had seen yet in his young life.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Luffy shouted in fright, jumping up nearly half a meter in the air. The voice freaked Luffy out horribly on account of two things.

One: the young child had no idea someone else was in the cave with him.

Two: it sounded like two different voices speaking at the same time.

"W-Who's there?" Luffy asked slowly, never before feeling frightened as he was now. He had not noticed it before, but there was this ominous feeling in the air that seemed to choke him the moment the owner of that weird voice spoke up. "I'm warning you!" he shouted in faux bravery. "I have a punch that's as strong as a pistol!" Time seemed to pass as the heavy feeling in the air became even more unbearable to the point Luffy felt he was going to suffocate.

"Bwahahahaha!" the mismatched voice suddenly guffawed, the air losing its foreboding nature immediately after that allowing Luffy to breathe properly. "As strong as a pistol! Ahah! You're a riot kid!" Suddenly a fire appeared in the darkened edge of the cave revealing a small tent, three small crates, two large barrels and a cloaked figure that was shaking due to laughter. "I like you kid, grab a seat!" When Luffy owlishly blinked at the figure, the cloaked person also owlishly blinked back, though Luffy did not see this.

"I was just about to eat-"

"Do you have meat?!" Luffy shouted excitedly as he somehow teleported to one of the small crates, staring in anticipation at the figure.

"Do I?" the figure guffawed. "Meat's the best!" The person then grabbed hold of one of the large barrels and pulled it close. A gloved hand then appeared and popped the lead off before pulling out a massive hunk of meat on a metal spit soaked in honey. "Wait a little while this cooks okay kid?"

"Okay!" the young body acquiesced immediately, staring at the hunk of meat as it slowly rotated on a spit over the fire. "Mine name's Monkey D Luffy by the way! Future Pirate King!" the Straw HatTM wearing boy introduced himself with exuberance, sticking out his hand to as gesture of greeting

"My name is Ivbleyuv, Luffy!" the figure replied, its voice finally settling on that of a males. "One of the Thirteen Guardians of Arcadia!"

"Guardian?" Luffy asked with a tilt of his head. "What's that? Is it something you can eat?"

"Eat?" The Guardian now adopted a thinking pose. "Well I mean all living things are edible so technically? But I mean you wouldn't eat yourself would you?" Luffy shook his head in response. "You're still meat though, so is every other person."

"I'm made of meat?!" Luffy shouted as he looked down at himself in shock.

"Well yeah. Didn't you know that?"

"NO!" the young boy shouted as tears fell down his face and a snot dribble appeared. He was then slapped back in forth to snap him out of it. "OW! What was that for?!"

"Feel better?"

"Kinda," Luffy muttered with puffed out cheeks.

"Anyway," Ivbleyuv waved off as he reached up and removed the hood of his cloak, revealing a rather young looking face with a cross shaped scar over his left eye and crescent moon shaped scar on right have of his lips. "A Guardian is technically what you would call a god."

"You're a god!" Luffy shouted with stars in his eyes. "That is so cool! Can you show me some cool tricks."

"I usually get babbling morons groveling at my feet for their impetuousness or impassive people not caring that they're talking to a person that can reduce them to ashes with a stray thought," Ivbleyuv told Luffy with a smirk as he gazed at the young boy with his right brown eye. "It's nice having youthful innocence to talk to, even though that phrase makes me want to wash my mouth with soup." A soap bar then materialized from thin air and was roughly shoved in his mouth back and forth.

"That is so cool!" Luffy shouted, clapping his hands in excitement. Ivbleyuv spat the offending soap bar out which suddenly transformed into a mikan. "Do more!" Luffy demanded, loving the neat tricks this god was showing him.

Ivbleyuv hummed a merry tune, the notes actually appearing in air before applying themselves to a sheet of music paper, while peeling the mikan revealing a skinless apple on the inside. The uninterrupted peeled skin turned into a snake that hissed viciously before the apple was promptly shoved into it face, knocking the snake out, swirls appearing over its eyes and tiny apples dancing around its head.

"You're so cool!" the future Pirate King exclaimed with stars in his eyes once more.

"I am aren't I?" the god boasted as his nose appeared to lengthen before the boys very eyes. He smirked at the boy before turning to tend to the meat on the spit. "So tell me about yourself Luffy. Why do you want to be the Pirate King, let alone a pirate?" he asked over his shoulder.

"Because the man I idolize was a pirate and he was awesome and taught me so much!" the Straw HatTM touting young boy told him with a grin. "And I promised him that I would become an even better pirate than him, that I would find One Piece and become Pirate King!"

"Well I'd say you're on the right track. You have the middle initial D and Roger's old hat," the god pointed out as he wiped his sweaty forehead and slicked his short black hair along with it.

Luffy immediately pulled off the Straw HatTM and looked at it in awe. "Shanks had the Pirate King's hat!" he shouted with glee.

"Yep!" the heterochromatic god replied as he served up two plates of steaming hot meat kabobs. "Shanks was actually a cabin boy of Roger's ship. Had it on his head his entire tenure as crewmember of the Roger Pirates!" Meat was ripped off the wooden spit with gusto and swallowed with delight followed by a sigh of content.

"Ah, that boy Ace, your brother?" this drew Luffy's attention, though he did not question how the god knew who Ace was or what his relation to Luffy was since he was a god. "He's Gol D. Roger's son." Luffy's eyes widened at that. "Yep. Hey? Did you know that after Roger died the World Government went on a eugenics hunt, killing any recently born child and mother because they were believed to be Roger's?" The boy's eyes widened at that, and his face turned green at the mere thought of innocent mothers and babies being slaughtered simply on the grounds of being related to the Pirate King.

"Rouge held Ace in her womb for twenty months you know. She killed herself protecting both the child she loved with all of her heart and the memory of the man she loved dearly." Luffy's eyes were now teary as he held the hat to his chest thinking about the sorrow in Ace's own heart. He was a really great big brother, always putting on a tough face even though his was more than likely crying his eyes out on the inside.

"You know, there are a ton of people living harsh lives out there because of the callous attitude and hypocrisy of the World Government. But the Marines can't do a thing because they are nothing more than dogs of the government who must obey their masters' commands," Ivbleyuv told the boy with a shrug as he bit into his kabob. "And people can't rely on pirates, the only truly free people since they are branded as criminals even if all they did was raise the flag, for fear of being punished for associating with them.

"But what can you do? This is just how the world works, the weak are crushed under the feet of the strong and those pure of heart can do nothing as they see all they care about laid to waster before them."

"I'll be change it all," Luffy muttered quietly, his bangs shadowing his eyes. Ivbleyuv raised an eyebrow in interest while a tiny smirked found its way to his lips.

"I'LL CHANGE ALL OF IT WHEN I BECOME THE NEXT PIRATE KING AND HAVE MORE FREEDOM THAN ANYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD! I'LL BE THE NEXT ONE TO USHER IN A NEW AGE WHERE THE TENRYŪBITO AND OTHER CORRUPT NOBLES CAN'T HIDE BEHIND A CORRUPT WORLD GOVERNMENT! I'LL MAKE IT SO THAT NO ONE ELSE HAVE TO LIVE THROUGH HEARTACHE!"

"THAT'S THE SPIRIT!" the god laughed as he launched a palm at the young boy so quickly that he had no time to react. One second later he was one the cave floor blinking up at the ceiling before pulling himself and gazing around the cave. There was no sign of the crates, fire, tent, barrels or god, not that Luffy even remembered that there ever was anything in this cave. He had simply wandered into the cave, somehow fallen asleep and woke up from a weird dream. Not that he had felt that any time had passed. He soon found his way back to the entrance to the cave and saw that it was sunny out, not that it was raining at all before since nothing seemed moist at all.

"Weird," Luffy muttered to himself as he looked back at the cave before sprinting off to find his brother as if nothing had happened before.

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"Now what other person's fate should I alter?" Ivbleyuv wondered, scratching his gray beard on his now old face while floating over Earth MCXIV. He grinned wildly as he looked down and spied five souls spread across time and space, four about to die and another to be condemned to be a monster. The god then simply vanished to create new threads that would create the tapestry that would make the next age of this world.

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 **AN: I'm gonna get a deluge of flak aren't I?**

 **It's not as bad as you might think it would be. The romance is very, very light mainly focusing on Nami and Luffy. The [Nami, Monkey D. Luffy, Alvida] tag is only to show it is a harem and not purely LuNa. Think along the lines of Luffy's Renewed Adventures level of harem, but more focul on Nami and Luffy. There are some really funny moments, like the Garp scenes.**

 **To clear something up, Luffy x Nami will be the main pairing with a side of harem, as in there will be romance between Luffy and other women, as well as Sanji x harem and Zoro x harem, but it will be mainly focused on Luffy and Nami as they will have the greatest synergy between them. Sure other girls will love him, and he them, but Nami will always be number one (tied by meat, nakama and being the Pirate King of course).**

 **I really hope you'll give this story a chance. If not… well… you could always wait for one of the really good ones to update?**


	2. Chapter 2 Differing Fates

**Disclaimer: How often does it need to be typed before it's understood?**

 **WARNING ON THE FIRST CHAPTER! READ IT BEFORE PROCEEDING!**

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Odyssey of the Will of 'D'

Chapter 2

Differing Fates

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"Can I wear my dad's hat one more time before you leave Luffy-nii?" Rose asked her brother in all but blood the day before he was supposed to set out from Foosha Village. The two of them were at Makino's bar having dinner while waiting for Rose's mother to close down the bar. He smiled down at the ten year old girl and ruffled her hair before taking off his treasured Straw Hat and placing it on the redhead's noggin.

"Just make sure to give it back to me before I set off okay?" he told her with his wide grin. His little sister grinned back in response before reaching over and hugging him, peals of laughter coming from her mouth. Makino just smiled from her position behind the bar at her daughter and adopted son.

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"He's gonna bring bad luck upon us for this," Woop Slap muttered as he gazed out at the slowly receding shape of Luffy's dinghy.

"You're just worried about Luffy aren't you Woop?" Makino teased the older man, her left hand over her mouth while her right hand was held by both hands of a crying Rose.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the Mayor muttered before turning around and slowly making his way back to Makino's bar.

"He'll be fine Makino." The green haired mother smiled at the strawberry-blonde haired older woman beside her. "Both he and Ace will just be fine."

"Is that a mother's intuition Rouge?"

"Something like that," Portgas D. Rouge answered mysteriously with a smile before scooping up Rose and tickling her belly, a happy look on her face.

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"How's it going Coby-chan?" A young pink haired boy looked over his shoulder at his traveling companion and shrugged at her. His friend was a rather beautiful thirty-two year old brunette with a rather stunning figure in some revealing clothing. The two of them were currently traveling on a cruise ship along with dozens of other passengers with its destination being Loguetown which was two weeks away. "What's wrong?" the lovely lady asked her charge as she laid a dainty hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently.

"Do you really think I'll be able to become a Marine?" Alvida sighed once more and gently bopped him on his head for his foolishness. They had talked about this numerous times after she had saved him from a dinghy traveling to a pirate ship.

"You need to the determination to do so Coby-chan," she told him with a kind voice as she looked out at the sea. "So long as you have that then becoming a Marine should be easy. Even though we'll be on opposing sides when I finally find a pirate crew to join," she snickered as she ruffled his hair once more, finding it amusing that she was helping someone who could one day be the reason for her capture. Her eyes became shadowed however as she remembered the travesties instigated by the Marines at the behest of the World Government. She decided not to rain on his parade with her dark thoughts and just smiled down at the boy. The two of them were startled however when one of the members of security ran in shouting that pirates were attacking.

"Alvida-san?" Coby asked as he looked up at her. She just smiled down at him before ruffling his hair.

"Find somewhere to hide okay? I'm going to get my mace to deal with them." She did not wait for her charge to nod his head as she had already dashed past the crowds of passengers back towards their cabin to arm herself against the imminent hostile boarders.

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"Man that was a nice nap!" Luffy shouted out loud as he burst out of the barrel he had decided to sleep inside. The seventeen year old had not even noticed that he had knocked out the living daylights of a pirate that had planned on deciding to destroy the barrel he was sleeping inside of. "Hmmm? Who are you guys?" he asked as he noticed the three other pirates surrounding his barrel.

"WE SHOULD BE ASKING YOU THAT YOU BASTARD!" One of the more hot-blooded pirates surrounding Luffy had decided that this odd bastard had to be dealt with quickly and drew his sword in an attempt to gut the stranger. Unfortunately that was not going to end well for him. As soon as he showed hostile intent toward the Straw HatTM totting young man a wide smirk grew on Luffy's face and he momentary disappeared before reappearing within the arc of the pirate's blade. His fist flew forward, the pirate having only a few moments to change his slash into a guard. That was not enough though as the punch hit the sword with enough force to break the shoddy piece of blacksmithing into five pieces.

The jaws of the two other pirates dropped at the show of force from this young man. They were even more frightened when the fist impacted their comrade with enough force to send him flying through the wall into the adjacent room. The sound of another wall being shattered was soon heard followed by two more.

"Whoops, I forgot that most people can't handle a punch from me," Luffy muttered as he stared at the hole in the wall. He then turned around and looked at the other two trembling pirates. The moment they made eye contact with the young man they shrieked in fright before fleeing in fright, but not before retrieving their two unconscious crewmates.

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"Captain, there's a monster down in the kitchen!" one of fleeing pirates shouted once he and his comrades had regrouped on the deck of the cruise ship. They were panting due to exertion and fright, having seen the power of the mysterious young man. However they feared their captain more than they feared the Straw HatTM totting young man.

"A monster, eh?" The captain drawled with a bored look on his long face. 'Six Sided Spiel' he was known as to the whole world. A man with a Twenty-five Million Beri bounty due to his raiding of twelve villages and razing seven of them to the ground along with attacking nine merchant ships. The overall kill count from his raids now numbered at one-hundred and nine civilians and twenty-five merchant sailors. However that did not count Marine casualties as Spiel always vanished before any Marine patrol could intercept him. "Monsters don't exist you fools, or did you forget that?"

"Of course not Captain!" the two conscious pirates shouted as they saluted their terrifying captain.

"It doesn't matter. We'll wait for this 'monster' to appear in due time," he told his mean with a grin as they held an impassive faced Alvida at sword point a distance away from a pinned Coby who was cursing his powerlessness. They did not have to wait for too long as the Straw HatTM totting young man slowly ambled his way up onto the deck of the cruise ship not even five minutes later.

"Oh, so this is where you guys went," Luffy said aloud with a blank look on his face. He then noticed the brunette held at sword point and the pink haired young man pinned to the deck. His face did not change from its blank look when his eyes landed on the face of 'Six Sided Spiel'. "Ah, who are you?" he asked aloud with a curious tone.

"I'm 'Six Sided Spiel! A pirate worth Twenty-five Million Beri! Who the hell are you?" Spiel asked with an annoyed look on his face. Luffy simply ignored him as he looked past Spiel towards his ship.

"You got treasure on your ship?" Luffy asked, his finger pointing towards the ship.

"Of course we do," the pirate captain sneered. "All of that treasure is from both this ship and the towns and merchant ships we sacked," he told the young man with a snicker.

"Ah, I see." A beat. "Well I'll be taking all of your treasure then."

"WHAT!" Spiel and his crew shouted.

Without preamble Luffy disappeared with a grin on his face before rematerializing near Alvida with his arm wrapped around Alvida's waist, surprising the older woman. He then disappeared before reappearing in front of the men pinning Coby down, surprising them before a fist and mace impacted upon them and sent them flying away from the pink haired boy. Alvida helped her charge stand before hugging him to her side, both her eyes and his focused on their unexpected savior.

"Who are you?" Alvida murmured with wide eyes, questioning how this odd person was able to touch her despite the abilities granted by her Akuma no Mi.

"My name's Monkey D. Luffy," he turned his head a little to look over his shoulder at her, a wide grin splitting his face in half. "I'm going to be the man that's going to find One Piece and become the next Pirate King!" Silence followed his declaration before Spiel's entire crew and himself burst into raucous laughter.

"YOU?! PIRATE KING?! DON'T MAKE US LAUGH!"

"OUR CAPTAIN WILL BE THE ONE TO DO SO YOU LOSER!"

"RUN BACK TO YOUR VILLAGE KID AND LIVE HAPPILY BEFORE WE DESTROY IT!"

Several quick punches from two outstretched limbs silenced the laughter of a number of pirates. Alvida and Coby's eyes were wide as they beheld the powers displayed by the youthful pirate.

"An Akuma no Mi user," Alvida muttered with awe.

"So cool," Coby whispered with an even greater awe in his own voice.

"I could take you on for real if you want me to," Luffy told the pirate crew with a grin on his face. His eyes slowly surveyed the men standing before him a gunshot rang out, stunning Alvida and Coby as they saw Luffy recoil in surprise most likely indicating that he was the target of the pistol. Spiel's look of triumph was morphed into a look of fear as Luffy did not fall over dead, but rather seemed to stretch before the pellet flew back at Spiel, cutting his cheek in the process before impacting the wall behind him.

"Guns and most physical attacks don't work on me," the young pirate explained as he suddenly extended his neck up a good two meters, effectively freaking out everyone who was looking in on the situation. "I ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi," he told all with a grin.

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"Akuma no Mi are real?!" a beautiful orange haired young woman whispered quietly as she beheld the spectacle from Spiel's ship. She currently had a massive burlap sack full of treasure beside her and was dressed in a stripped white and blue shirt and black shorts. This 'thief' was a former passenger of the S.S. Ferry Bound that was waiting for any pirate crew to attack so that she could rob them blind in return and escape with their treasure so that she could collect enough Beri.

It was all for the cause of saving her village and Bell-mère.

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"G-Get 'im!" Spiel shouted as he drew his sword. "Kill that bastard!"

Once more their fear of their captain overrode their fear of the Rubber Man before them and they charged recklessly at him, knowing they stood little chance against this youthful pirate. Luffy just grinned in excitement before jumping into the fray, his arms punching all who came close enough while his legs kicked anyone stupid enough to think they could get the drop on him. He was not even relying on his powers, seeing as he did not expand his limbs or even dodge in a way no human could possibly hope to achieve.

Alvida just watched on with interest, swatting away any morons attempting to harm her charge. The only reason why she had been surrounded before was simply due to her not wanting Coby to get hurt since he had been taken hostage. But now that he was safe behind her, she could let loose on these fools.

"C-Captain!" one of the pirates still standing shouted in fright after five minutes of battling with Alvida and Luffy. "W-What do we do?! He's too strong!" A gunshot once more rang out followed by the fearful pirate falling over dead from a gunshot wound to the heart. The battle screeched to a halt once the pirate died at the hands of his captain.

"Kill him! Anyone who retreats even a single step will be shot on the spot!" Spiel shouted, spittle flying from his mouth.

"You just did that?" Luffy asked quietly, his voice carrying across the deck due to the silence that had fallen. Unbeknownst to them all, Nami, the orange haired thief, was listening in action, wondering why a pirate would care if another pirate, and a captain at that, executed his own comrade. "You're men place their faith and trust in you and you pay them back by sending them to fight someone that easily outmatches them and then execute them if they want to live?"

"You're one to talk Monkey D. Luffy," Spiel sneered as he pointed his sword at the pirate. "You were enjoying beating my men like it was some game. Aren't you just as blood thirsty as any other pirate?"

"I like fighting," Luffy agreed. "But that doesn't mean I'm gonna kill my oppenents. But captains are supposed to lead their men and always look out for them, not use them as shields to save his own ass. Pirate captains like that are the ones that annoy me to no end the most." He then disappeared before reappearing in front of Spiel and sent a punch at him that sent the pirate flying so hard that he became a speck in the sky. All eyes were on the fading Spiel save for three sets of eyes.

Luffy, Alvida and Nami had spotted the three Marine cruiser-class patrol ships and watched as smoke blooms appeared across the three ships.

"It's the Marines! We're saved!" Coby shouted in delight, believing they were to in good hands. He was proven wrong when two cannonballs shattered the mast near him and Alvida, causing it to topple over onto them. Coby covered his head, hoping to shield himself while gripping onto his guardian's cloak as tightly as he could. Alvida's eyes narrowed as she prepared to swing her mace intending to destroy the massive piece of timber, but her eyes widened instead when she felt a hand wrap around her waist and pull her along onto the pirate boat since the Marine cruisers were currently interested in firing on the cruise ship.

"Do you have room for anymore?!" Luffy shouted when he spotted a pretty girl with orange hair loading a dinghy with several bags. He landed in the dinghy without permission, a grin on his face while Alvida and Coby appeared shocked.

"Eh?!" she shouted along with Alvida and Coby. Those shouts turned into screams when a cannonball impacted near the dinghy pulleys having penetrated straight through the cruise ship into the pirate ship, causing the dinghy to rapidly fall towards the water. Coby, Luffy and Nami were able to maintain their balance on the dinghy, however Alvida had somehow slipped from Luffy's grip. Time seemed to slow down as Alvida plummeted to the waters below them.

"Alvida-san!" Coby shouted while his hand reached out to her despite the distance between them. The time around them soon resumed as Alvida splashed into the water and quickly began to sink. "Alvida-san!" Before Nami could even dive in to the water to save the woman brought along by this strange man said strange man leapt over board into the water himself.

"What the hell is that idiot doing?! He's an Akuma no Mi ability user! He'll drown!" she shouted to no one in particular, more likely due to her own shock. That shock soon turned into surprise when Luffy soon burst out of the water with Alvida over his shoulder a cocky grin on his face. He then landed on the dinghy and laid the older woman on the bench.

"C'mon, we're still getting fired at!" he told Nami with a grin on his face, not even realizing what he did was an impossible feat while at the same time making light of the situation that he had mentioned they currently found themselves in. "Get us out of here and I'll revive her!"

"R-Right!" Nami shouted in shock as she unfurled the sails and allowed the dinghy to be carried by the fierce winds that had suddenly appeared along with a storm.

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"I'm Monkey D. Luffy!" the young man introduced himself once he had revived Alvida and all four of them were a safe distance away. "Future Pirate King!"

"Pleasure," the pretty girl muttered. "It's Nami by the way, best navigator you'll find in the entire world!" she boasted, pointing a thumb at herself while a grin appeared on her face. "I also hate pirates!" she added as an afterthought.

"Alvida, pirate in waiting," the older woman replied, seeing as they were all introducing themselves while she slowly sat up. "Coby-chan, who-?"

"Ah, that would be me," Luffy interrupted while sticking his hand in the air.

"But you're an Akuma no Mi ability user!" the beauty gasped with wide eyes. "You should have sunk like me the moment you tried to dive in after me!"

"You know I thought Shanks was pulling my leg about me not being able to swim anymore," the young pirate mused suddenly, shocking the three other occupants as he had name dropped on of the Yonko like nothing. "I actually believed him since I couldn't really swim before I had eaten the Gomu Gomu no Mi. But a year or so later I found out that I could learn to swim, so I learned since a pirate's life is on the seas!" He laughed heartily thought, "Guess I'm an exception though! Shishishishi!"

"M-My names Coby," the pink haired, glasses wearing young man introduced himself last. "I-I want to be a Marine and bring criminals to justice for their crimes!"

"So that means you'll be turning me in?" Luffy asked while he tilted his head to the side in curiosity.

"N-No! You're a nice person Luffy-san! You saved me and Alvida-san!"

"But I declared I'd be the Pirate King you know? Shouldn't you turn me in because of that?"

"Just because you say that doesn't mean you're a bad person!" Coby shouted in defiance. "Alvida-san wants to be a pirate, but she's helping me accomplish my dream of becoming a Marine! She's not a bad person!" He pouted when Alvida, giggling all the while, ruffled his hair like a child.

"Oh! You said you're a navigator, right?" Luffy exclaimed, leaning close towards Nami's face, causing her face to go red due to the closeness. "Could you join my crew?" he asked excitedly.

"I already told you I hate pirates!" she shouted, roughly shoving his face away. "Why would I join you?!"

"So you won't join me?!"

"No means no Luffy!"

"Eh?!"

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 **AN: Char Aznable is Shanks. Don't believe me? Listen to his voice again.**


	3. Chapter 3 Defining Characteristics

**Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah.**

 **WARNING ON THE FIRST CHAPTER! READ IT BEFORE PROCEEDING!**

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Odyssey of the Will of 'D'

Chapter 3

Defining Characteristics

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"Please Nami?" Luffy whined aloud for the fifteenth time that day. Alvida simply chuckled behind her hand, amused at the antics of the two younger people while Coby shook his head, wondering when Luffy would get the hint.

"Luffy will you shut up?! I told you already that I don't like pirates!" Nami shouted back at the raven haired young man, her face red due both to her own fury and embarrassment at the number of times Luffy had invaded her personal space.

"But you said you like me," Luffy complained as he once more invaded the navigator's personal space for the third time that day grasping her hands in his own. An innocent grin bloomed on his face, oblivious to the near fiery red that bloomed on the young woman's face.

"I-I know I did," she stammered, looking anywhere but his face for fear of fainting due to close proximity. He was a roguish looking young man that could steal the heart of any lucky female with his straightforward and blunt attitude that brooked no excuse. She was not sure if she could defend herself against his advances. Luckily, Luffy seemed to relent long enough for her to shore up her defenses before his next assault at her walls. "B-But I told you I hate pirates already Luffy. I like you though," the orange haired young woman trailed off quietly.

"But isn't that a contradiction though?" Luffy asked with a tilt of his head. "You like me, but you hate pirates, so do you like me or hate me since I'm me and a pirate?"

"W-Well…" she stalled, a sweat breaking out on her brow as she tried to shore up her defense of this persistent young man. Despite looking like he was a few Beri short of a treasure chest, he was eerily perceptive, as he had not fallen for the same looping conversations seeing as he avoided repeating any previous statement that did not work on her. "Yes I do like you," she conceded finally, turning to look into his eyes and feeling a smile bloom on her face that matched Luffy's own.

"So will you join my crew then?" the Straw Hat totting young man asked as he held her own hands in his larger ones.

"I can't," she told him quietly. Luckily enough it seemed that Alvida could sense the intimacy of the moment and decided to distract Coby so that they could the two some privacy. "I have something that I need to do."

"Can I help you then?" he asked, surprising her with his question.

"Huh?"

"If I help you will you be able to join my crew?" Once more she was shocked by his straightforwardness and unerring determination to see her join his crew. She would have said something along the lines of "But you don't have a crew, let alone a flag," however she had already said that a few hours ago and learned the hard way he could easily dodge that question with a simple reply of "You'll be the first of my crew, and it doesn't matter if it's small now, we'll get more nakama!"

"It's not a simple as that," she whispered quietly, hints of sadness bleeding through adding a quiver to her once strong voice.

"I'll do whatever it is you need me to do." Once more she was surprised to hear that straightforwardness coming from him.

"Why are you willing to go so far just to have me join?" she questioned aloud, perplexed and thrown off by his persistence while shyly avoiding eye contact once more.

"Because I can tell you're a good person," he told her with a serious a look on her face. "There's a trauma in your heart that was caused most likely by pirates." It was not a question but rather a statement. Nami simply nodded her head, realizing it was futile to reply in the negative. "I've decided over these past two days that I'll do whatever it takes to make you my crewmate."

"You can't just force a girl to do whatever you want Luffy," she muttered with an angry look on her face, her blush growing once more. For some reason on the inside she felt her head get lighter as if the mere thought of this young man forcing himself on her was something excitable.

"I am a pirate," Luffy replied with a grin. "But I'd never do that to you," he quickly added before Nami could go on another spiel about hating pirates. "I'll do whatever it takes to win your favor Nami just to prove to that I'm not like other pirates."

"O-Okay," she whispered as she looked into his eyes once more. She yelped in surprise when Luffy hugged her to himself and began to celebrate the joining of his first crewmate. Said first crewmate laughed along with him, his exuberance infectious.

* * *

An hour later the dinghy the four of them had sailed upon was moored at the port of an island with a Marine base. Waypoint Island, located in the Yotsuba Island Region, was called such due to the fact that the island was one of the biggest trading ports in all of the East Blue besides Loguetown itself which was the largest city of East Blue. The town on the island was called Shells Town despite being a city.

After Nami had paid for the docking fee the four of them were currently making their down the main road towards the towering Marine garrison barracks. While Luffy was interrogating Coby on strong people that he could recruit the name Roronoa Zoro popped up. To say that the reaction from the civilians of Waypoint Island was one of fear would be an understatement.

"Did you just say Roronoa Zoro?" a female voice spoke up from behind the group of four. Nami and Alvida parted so that Luffy and Coby could get a better look at the owner of the voice. "Ah, my name's Kuina," a blue haired woman carrying a katana at her side introduced herself. "I'm Zoro-kun's friend. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Luffy!" the Straw Hat totting young man introduced himself with a grin. He then laid a hand on Coby's head and ruffled his hair. "This here is Coby, a future Marine! The pretty lady on your right is Alvida!"

"Pleasure," the black haired beauty said with a smile that had a number of people around them swooning.

"And this," Luffy said as he hugged Nami from behind earning a shriek and blush from the orange haired young woman. "Is my Navigator, Nami!"

"Stop that you baka!" she shouted as she broke free from his grasp and bopped him on the head, somehow injuring him in the process.

"Ah to be young again," an older woman sighed dreamily, holding her cheek in one hand and leaning on her husband.

"So daring," one young woman told her gaggle of friends in a harsh whisper.

"Lucky bastard," a young man growled to his buddies. "Some guys got all the luck." His friends agreed with him while glaring in contempt at Luffy.

"Is he your boyfriend Nami-san?" Kuina asked with an easygoing smile.

"Ah, I haven't asked her yet, so no," Luffy supplied in his usual straightforward attitude.

"Luffy, there's supposed to be a pace to these things!" his orange haired friend shouted while Alvida laughed behind her hand, Coby sighing all the while. "We've only known each other for less than three days!"

Kuina laughed at the scene before her, happy to see such a refreshing situation going on right in front of her. "How about I show you where that baka is at right now." She then walked past the four towards the Marine base, knowing that they would fall in line since they were looking for information of Zoro.

"So why do you want to know about Zoro-kun?" she asked the young man beside her, Nami on the other side of Luffy and Alvida and Coby trailing behind them.

"I want him to join my crew because he sounds strong!" Luffy replied with an excitable grin. "I'm going to find One Piece and become the Pirate King!" he shouted exuberantly. Luckily no one was around to hear that declaration or see from what direction that loud voice came from.

"You're a pirate?" Kuina asked, not really all that shocked that she was walking alongside a pirate and his crewmate.

"Ah, Alvida is a pirate in waiting too!" Luffy told her while pointing his thumb over his shoulder at Alvida. Kuina looked over her shoulder at the grinning older woman that had stopped her engaging conversation with the pink haired boy beside her so that she could acknowledge Luffy's words with a nod of her head.

"Three pirates helping a boy become a Marine and one of them is attempting to recruit a Bounty Hunter," the blunette murmured as she looked over the four. "I've never seen anything more bizarre."

"Well Nami is a pirate hater, so you can say it's even more bizarre," Luffy added with a snicker.

"Then why are you a member of a pirate crew Nami-san?" the swordswoman asked the young woman on the other side of Luffy in surprise.

"I only like this pirate," Nami answered with a long drawn sigh as she softly bopped Luffy's head. Said owner of the bopped head snickered in reply as he dragged Nami in a one armed hug causing a smile to blossom on her face.

"So is Roronoa Zoro collecting a bounty at the Marine base Kuina-san?" Coby asked as they closed in on the gates of the base of the One-Hundred and Fifty-Third Branch of the Marines. Kuina shook her head as she leapt up the wall. She looked down and motioned all of them to follow her lead. Coby and Alvida climbed up the wall like her. Luffy however had a different idea as he wrapped an arm around Nami's waist and stretched his legs so that they were looking over the wall, oblivious to the blush the spread on her cheeks. Once Nami had a good grip on the wall Luffy released his arm from her waist and stared in the direction Kuina was pointing.

"He really looks like a demon," Coby whispered in fright, his voice quivering. Indeed the form of a tied up human to a cross, ropes binding him and that shadowed look over his eyes gave Roronoa Zoro the image of a demon, at least to denizens of the East Blue. In any other of the four seas he would have been seen as nothing more than a punk.

"What's up Nami?" Luffy asked as he noticed that Nami's eyes were roaming over the Marine base.

"That base has a map of the Grand Line that I need," she answered simply. "I need that so that I can amass one million Beri." Luffy nodded, waiting for any instructions from his Navigator. "From the looks of it, the security is somewhat lax so I should be able to infiltrate it with a large enough distraction."

"And that's where I come in right?" her captain asked with a grin on his face that had her doing her best to suppress a blush due to his charming smile that had wormed its way into her heart.

"Ah, and I think recruiting Roronoa Zoro would be the perfect distraction," she replied with a grin.

"Leave it to me!" Before he could move the sound of a ladder hitting the wall next to him was heard. Five sets of eyes turned in that direction and saw a small girl climb up. The little girl made a quieting motion with her finger that Luffy copied, a smile on his face. She then hopped over the wall and made her way quickly to the form of Zoro. From there position on the wall they could barely make out what was being said. Their eyes turned toward the opening gate and all five hunched closer to the wall so that they could not be spotted.

The figure in the middle of two Marines, a blonde man with a cleft and a mushroom haircut sauntered over to the girl. Words were once more exchanged before the blonde reached down and took something from the girl. They watched in horror as he spat up whatever it was he took from the girl before slapping the other object from her hands, stomping it into the ground causing her to become teary eyed. Their horror grew when one of the Marines who was pointed at walked over to the girl then picked her up and tossed her over the wall. Nami smiled when she saw Luffy disappear and then suddenly reappear with the girl in his arms on the ground. He really was not like other pirates.

"Hey Nami, can you, Coby and Alvida watch her while I talk to our future nakama?" Luffy asked. Without waiting for an answer he vaulted over the wall using only his physical strength.

'And so like other pirates expecting others to accept their orders,' Nami sighed before climbing down alongside Alvida and Coby.

"Ne, nee-chan was that you're, you know?" the little girl asked while raising her pinky.

"He hasn't asked me yet," she replied with a smile. Alvida would have liked to point out that Nami was not against the idea of being Luffy's girlfriend but decided to save the teasing for when the straightforward boy was back with them.

"I see!" the girl giggled.

"Why were you trying to feed Roronoa Zoro?" Coby asked with a perplexed look on his face. "Isn't he a demon?"

"No he isn't nii-chan!" the girl shouted in defense of the Bounty Hunter.

"How about you tell us somewhere not close to the base he's being kept at," Alvida suggested helpfully.

"Ah, I know just the place!"

"That wasn't very nice Zoro-kun." The voice startled the bound bounty hunter, causing him to look up in surprise at his childhood friend.

"S-Shut up Kuina," he growled, an annoyed look on his face due to the honorific attached to his name.

"Mou, is that any way to talk to your cute childhood friend?" the blunette asked with a teasing grin on her face. "We both know you're too much of a softy on the inside to act like a monster to an innocent person like that little girl." She sighed though, ignoring her friend gnashing his teach at her, shouting about how she was wrong. "Teasing aside, I have someone here that wants to talk to about something."

"You mean this dull looking guy?" Zoro asked with an inclination of his head towards the boy with the red vest that was looking at the Marine Base rather than him.

"Nami was right, the security sure is lax here. We should have been shot at due to trespassing on restricted grounds. Gramps would be so mad if he saw the state of this place," he muttered before turning back to the bound swordsman and unbound swordswoman. "Ah, right! I want you to join my pirate crew!"

"You do realize I'm a Bounty Hunter, right? I turn in pirates for money, chasing them down for the thrill of battle." He glared at Kuina when she made an unladylike snort.

"You're only a bounty hunter because it makes good money. And most of the one's you chase down said something insulting to me, even though I could handle them myself." She ignored her childhood friend's growl, turning away from Luffy and leaned down to pick up the now ruined onigiri. "Do you wanna eat it?" she asked, having noticed how her friend was eyeing the dirty piece of food.

"Y-Yeah."

"Say 'Ah!'" Kuina teased as she brought the onigiri to Zoro's face. The swordsman had a very dim blush on his face as he opened his jaw and swallowed the piece of rice whole.

"Hey, Kuina, tell Rika that I ate it all okay?" The blunette nodded before stepping back allowing Luffy to speak his piece.

"I heard you were strong, so I want you to join my crew and I won't take no for an answer."

"I refuse," Zoro grunted.

"And I refuse your refusal," Luffy huffed, crossing your arms. "You're already on the bad side of the law anyway, so why would becoming a pirate change any of that?"

"Because tomorrow I become a free man," the bound swordsman explained with a smirk. "I thought with his ugly mug and horrible attitude the son of this base's commander would have pulled something, but that hasn't happened yet. Once I'm done I'm getting out of here with Kuina."

"Don't you wanna join him Zoro-kun," his friend pouted. "It sounds like a ton of fun."

"You're damn right it is!"

"I already told you I refuse!"

* * *

"Are the children of Marines even allowed to abuse their parents' authority?" Nami asked the little girl who introduced herself as Rika. "Scratch that, are Marines even allowed to abuse their powers like that?"

"Unfortunately so Nami." The eyes of Nami, Alvida, Coby and Rika turned to see the forms of Luffy and Kuina taking a seat at their table.

"Zoro said he ate all of it and it was delicious Rika-chan," Kuina told the little grin with a smile.

"I'm glad," Rika replied with a smile of her own.

"The corruption of the World Government is spread far and wide," Luffy began again. "There aren't enough good Marines to police the others and the strong ones are too preoccupied with 'Absolute Justice'." He spat the term with contempt. "It's so bad that one of my sworn brothers was killed because his dinghy sailed right in front of the galleon of one of the Tenryūbito. It's so horrific that an entire slum town was burned down to the ground along with a majority of its inhabitants simply to please said Tenryūbito!" The angry look on his face was soon replaced by a blank look as he leaned back in his seat, staring up into the air.

"It's because of reasons like that that I told my gramps I could no longer be a Marine like he wanted me to while cementing my dream of becoming a pirate. I realized I could do more if I'm not bound to the rules of the government, choosing 'Moral Justice' over 'Absolute Justice' as a pirate."

"Luffy," Nami murmured. 'I'm glad I met a pirate like you. Maybe I can do this.'

"That's why Coby," Luffy leaned back up and stared at the pinkette, "I don't want you just aiming to be a Marine. I want you to become Fleet Admiral of the Marines." His declaration shocked everyone in the room but none more so than Coby himself. "That way when I become the Pirate King and you become Fleet Admiral we can change the world together for the better!"

Before anyone could say anything in reply to Luffy's declaration, Helmeppo, son of the Marine Captain Morgan, sauntered in with his escort of two Marine Petty Officers. He then loudly proclaimed after demanding food that he was going to execute Roronoa Zoro instead of free him tomorrow. Everyone watched in surprise as Kuina shot from her seat and used the scabbard with her still sheathed katana to jab at the blonde's forehead, sending him tumbling back in shock. His two escorts began to draw their weapons to defend their charge but stopped when they saw Alvida and Luffy looming over them.

"Are you really going to protect a sleazy bastard like that?" Alvida asked with a frown, her hand twitching towards the massive mace on her back.

"You disgrace the name of Marines with your actions," Luffy muttered, an impassive look on his face, arms crossed over his red vest.

"I-I'm telling my dad on you!" the blonde shouted as he was quickly carried out of the restaurant by his two escorts.

"Whiny brat," Luffy grumbled to himself.

"To think that guy's the son of the Marine commander here," Coby groaned as he held his head in his hands. He was still trying to regain a resemblance of equilibrium after being told _that_ by Luffy, a pirate who aimed to be the Pirate King. Something bothered Coby about what the Straw Hat totting young man said before that bold declaration. "You said you're grandpa wanted you to become a Marine, why is that?"

"Oh, because he's a Marine too," one of the carriers of the middle initial D stated plainly.

"Really?!" Coby shouted out loud, once more surprised at this contradiction of a pirate. The grandson of a Marine- Wait, Monkey D?! "WAIT! YOU'RE GRANDFATHER IS MONKEY D. GARP?! THE MARINE HERO?!" That had everyone exclaiming in shock and staring at Luffy with wide eyes and dropped jaws.

"Ah, he is." He then grinned at Kuina. "Do you think Zoro will join my crew now that the blonde brat said that?"

"Y-Yeah," the blunette agreed. She shook her head to clean the shock of that bombshell. "If he doesn't join because of this, I'll just force him to join you guys. It seems like fun with you guys around."

"Alright! Hey Nami, it's going down!" he told his navigator with a grin. "LET'S GO!" Nami laughed as well when Luffy stretched his arm and wrapped it around her waist pulling her along with him. He then exited the restaurant, Alvida, Coby and Kuina hot on his trail, their destination Marine Branch One-hundred and Fifty-Three.

* * *

"Kuina, what the hell are you doing?!" Zoro shouted when he saw Kuina with _Wadō Ichimonji_ drawn, ready to strike him.

"Breaking you out you baka!" she shouted as she expertly slashed at the ropes, breaking her friend out of his harsh imprisonment.

"What about Rika and her mother, I can't protect them if that bastard brings the entire garrison down on them!" the younger sword wielder shouted as he grabbed the front of Kuina's shirt and shook her roughly. "I don't want someone punished simply because of my own actions!"

"Relax Zoro, Helmeppo retracted his side of the proposal so that means you have no reason to be tied up!" Luffy shouted excitably from Kuina's side. Alvida and Coby were currently waiting along with Nami near one of the entrances to Marine Base with Nami so it was only the three in the courtyard at the moment. They were waiting for Luffy to kick up a ruckus so that Zoro and Kuina could recover the former's swords while Nami stole one of their Marine documents of the Grand Line.

"Damnit, I should have known that sneaky bastard would never honor his side of the bargain," Zoro growled. "C'mon Kuina, let's find that blonde bastard and find my swords!"

"I'm going to start my part of the plan!" the raven haired pirate shouted as he suddenly disappeared from their sight. Shouts from the rooftop of the Marine base were heard followed by what looked like the upper half of a massive stone statue collapsing to the ground, shattering into hundreds of pieces of varying sizes. A shout of "Catch!" caught Kuina and Zoro's attention and both of them were shocked to see Helmeppo flying at them with tears in his eyes. Zoro luckily reacted fast enough and caught the blonde man, but that was more due to the fact that he was not willing to let him faceplant into Kuina's chest.

"Tell me where my swords are you bastard!" Zoro roared at the blubbering blonde in his grasp.

"In my room!" Helmeppo shouted in fright.

"Lead me!" the swordless swordsman shouted as he ran toward in the opposite direction of the Marine base.

"YOU'RE SENSE OF DIRECTION STILL STINKS BAKA!" Kuina shouted as she chased after them and redirected Zoro in the proper direction.

* * *

"W-What is this?!" Nami quietly screeched, clutching at a piece of parchment that had a rather unique Jolly Roger on it. "Buggy the Clown?! That flashy Pirate captain and his crew just getting their hands on one of the Marine documents of the Grand Line from this base is proof enough of how lax the security of this base is!" Behind the orangette Alvida shook her head while Coby was lamenting the fact that the so far examples of the Marines were not really living up to his expectations. Maybe Garp could drop by and kick this place into shape.

"For the love of-," the Navigator of Luffy's pirate crew simply grit her teeth before releasing a sigh. "Let's just loot this bastard's own personal safe while we're at it." Oddly enough whoever Buggy had sent to retrieve the Marine document decided not to steal any of the money from Morgan's safe. About three million Beri richer, Nami, Alvida and Coby made their quick escape from the Marine base. The plan after her, now failed, retrieval of the Grand Line chart was to regroup at Food Foo with Luffy, Kuina and Zoro, hopefully with the latter two joining their pirate crew.

Once they made their way back to Food Foo, they were surprised to see that the occupants were celebrating while Zoro and Luffy were eating with enthusiasm while Kuina simply shook her head before slowly sipping on her drink.

"I take it that your part went off without a hitch Luffy?" Nami muttered as she took a seat beside her captain, a little peeved that his part of the plan appeared to have gone far better than her part had.

"Yep!" Luffy replied with a grin as he wrapped a hand around Nami's shoulder and brought her close to him, squishing their cheeks together. "Zoro, this is Nami our Navigator!"

"She your girlfriend or something?" the green haired man asked with a sly smirk.

"HE HASN'T ASKED ME YET!" she shouted before blushing madly at the close proximity to her captain. Their antics were interrupted when suddenly a Marine walked in, the rank on his lapels indicating his rank as Commander most likely making him the highest ranking Marine on the island due to Morgan being locked away for abuse of power.

"I am Commander Ripper, temporary commander of Marine Branch One-Five-Three," he introduced himself to the party of six. "You are all pirates?" At the round of five nods he continued. "Because of my duty as a Marine I must arrest you," before anyone could shout at the Marines being 'ungrateful bastards' Ripper continued undeterred, "However, because we owe you a debt for stopping Captain Morgan, I will allow you until sundown today to vacate this island."

"Ah, that's reasonable," Luffy nodded biting down on a massive tenderloin and tearing away a sizable chunk. "Only one of us isn't a pirate though," he told the Marine indicting Richie by placing his head on the pinkette's head before ruffling. He grinned when he let go, Coby pouting all the while.

"Then who is this civilian in relation to you?" Ripper asked, perplexed as he had seen this boy hanging around with this band of pirates.

"He's just a kid I saved from pirates," Alvida supplied helpfully, placing her hand on the pinkette's hair and ruffling it as well. "His dream actually is to become a Marine and rise to the rank of Fleet Admiral." The first part was his dream while the second part was Luffy's amendment to his dream.

"I-Is that so," the Marine coughed, trying his best not to be dazzled by Alvida. Only those who were happily married seemed to notice that only Luffy was one of the few unaffected, as his attention was given one-hundred percent to the orangette sitting beside him. "But you're a pirate. Should your first instinct be to stop a future enemy?"

"He's got a good heart so I can't really fault him for his dreams," she smiled down at Coby, getting a shy blush from the young boy. One of the marines, a petty officers third class from the looks of it, warned Ripper of pirates placing spies in the ranks of Marines.

"That is something that normal pirates would do," Ripper agreed. "However, these pirates are not normal at all seeing as they stopped a corrupt Marine Captain. Even if their aim was simply to bolster their forces they have acted civilly to the civilian population. So I do not believe that they would do such a thing."

"Commander-"

"I will shoulder any consequences from this action," the commanding officer interrupted once more. "You! What is your name?!"

"Coby, Commander Ripper, Sir!" Coby shouted as he snapped off a sloppy salute having jumped to his feet when he was addressed.

"The journey to becoming a Marine from here is one that is not for all! Are you sure you have the determination to do so?!"

"IT'S ALWAYS BEEN MY DREAM TO BECOME A MARINE, SIR! I WILL EVEN PLACE MY LIFE ON THE LIFE TO SEE MY DREAM THROUGH!" the pinkette shouted with a strong conviction in his voice.

"WE'LL SEE ABOUT THAT!" Ripper shouted back, a grin spreading across his face, a matching one spreading across a now crying Coby.

"Ah, you guys are going to report to Marineford right?" Luffy asked Ripper, referring to the seat of power where Marine Headquarters, the island seated near the middle of the entire world, was located.

"Ah, yes that is correct."

"Could I contact someone there?"

"And who might that be?" Ripper asked with narrowed eyes, not liking how a pirate wanted to contact someone at Marine Headquarters.

"YOU'RE CONTACTING YOUR GRANDFATHER GARP?!" their newest recruit shouted in surprise. That got a strong reaction out of the small group of Marines. Surprise rang out from them as they could not believe Garp the Fist was related to such a pirate.

After a quick conversation into a Den-Den Mushi in which every Marine listening in was further surprised that Garp was actually related to this pirate, Luffy if the name shouted by Garp was the Straw Hat totting young man on the Den-Den Mushi, and that he would be at the island within five days. He also shouted that Luffy was to stay there so that he could pound some sense into his head with the hopes of dissuading him of the concept of being a pirate. Of course Luffy did not obey, seeing as he usually never listened to his grandfather unless it was something really important. Five days later a surprised Garp was gaping at Commander Ripper and his two newest recruits, Seaman Recruit Coby and Seaman Recruit Helmeppo.

"EHHHHH?! THAT IDIOT DIDN'T STAY?!"

* * *

"Where to next Nami?!" Luffy shouted excitably a grin on his lips from the front of the sloop they were given by the kind people of Shells Town.

"Orange Town is the next island Luffy!" she shouted from his side, pointing to the south-southwest.

"Onward to Orange Town! Onward to adventure!"

"Never a quiet moment it seems," Zoro groused from his leaning position near the port side of the ship. Kuina merely smiled from her spot beside her friend, their shoulders touching. She was either oblivious to the contact or it was intention, but no one could honestly tell, nor did they care. Despite the slight dusting on Zoro's cheeks, he did not move away at all.

"I knew there was a reason why I wanted for a time before becoming a pirate," the cowboy totting older woman said from her position at the stern of the ship. "They seem like a lively bunch."

* * *

 **AN: They introduced Nami very early into the anime. She didn't even appear until Orange Town. A little odd, but eh. Maybe their was a shipper working in the production team that read all the way to Luffy proclaiming Nami as his nakama after defeating Arlong and thought, "Ship ahoy!". Also, am I chopped liver or something? It's a little odd to not get reviews after putting out three chapters this fast. Ah well, what can you do?**


	4. Chapter 4 Treasure Beyond Measure

**Disclaimer: Gum Gum Cross X!**

 **WARNING ON THE FIRST CHAPTER! READ IT BEFORE PROCEEDING!**

* * *

Odyssey of the Will of 'D'

Chapter 4

Treasure Beyond Measure

* * *

Turns out that Alvida was a very decent cook, though Kuina could give her a run for her money seeing as she was taught by a housewife, her mother. Though no one pointed it out, Zoro would always eat with proper table manners as opposed to eating slightly better than Luffy who had little to no manners, unless Nami was cooking in which case he acted like a decent human being at the table. The two men were banned from cooking because the swordsman preferred to drown his dishes, mainly steaks and slabs of meat, in nothing but beer, cheap beer at that, ale and rum. The worst case for him was when he drowned the food with five different types of alcohol. Luffy was worse because he cooked only meat, while Zoro would prepare steamed cabbage and potatoes even if it was nasty, and usually cooked them rare. He only cooked once, but that was enough for all of them including Nami who immediately kicked him out of the kitchen with a shout of, "NOT EVERYONE CAN EAT LIKE YOU BAKA!"

So it was at night on the third and final day before Orange Town that the five were sitting at the table in the cabin of the sloop eating a meal prepared by Alvida. It had taken a while but in those three days Nami had taught Luffy some table manners so that he could eat calmly like everyone else, even if he ate enough food to feed five full grown men.

"I've been wondering Luffy," the older woman began as she looked over at her captain, "We've had to cook more of our foodstuffs for you than anyone else, why is that?"

"So you know how some Akuma no Mi change your body?" Luffy replied with a question to Alvida's question. She nodded in reply because her Akuma no Mi had made her drop over one-hundred and fifty kilograms. "I ate the Gomu-Gomu no Mi making me a rubber man." He stretched his neck up a meter, freaking Zoro and Kuina who had not seen this trick yet. "Everything about me is rubbery and can stretch to a certain length before it hurts."

'Anything?' Alvida and Nami thought, the former amused beyond belief while the latter was blushing madly at the thought.

"The trade off because of that is needing to have vast amounts of protein to accommodate my stretching. I've gone a week trying to eat like everyone else a few years back and before I knew it I couldn't use my powers and even my own monstrous physical abilities began to lag badly to the point it took me thirty minutes to beat up a Mountain Tiger." Everyone was shocked at the statement and the implications behind it. Most normal people could not handle the wild beasts of their lands, and to know that Luffy was able to, even it took thirty minutes in a _weakened_ state, was a shock to them.

"What kind of training did you go through to become that strong?" Zoro asked after biting into a piece of his medium-rare porterhouse steak.

"Training usually reserved for Vice-Admirals," Luffy shrugged, happily biting into his third steak. His four crewmates balked at the statement, realizing that the person they were following was a veritable monster even if he acted like a carefree idiot who was more interested in being a pirate and adventuring.

"So are all Vice-Admirals able to catch weapons open palmed like that?" Kuina asked in an awed whisper, referring to when Luffy caught Morgan's axe hand before shattering it by just applying pressure.

"Some are," Luffy supplied as he sipped his grape juice. "However most use _Haki_ instead to catch weapons, which is what I did."

"What's that?" Alvida asked, having somewhat of an inkling now how Luffy was able to touch her despite her abilities given to her by the Sube-Sube no Mi.

"How should I put this?" their captain began, sitting cross legged and crossed armed, his head bowed in a thinking pose. "Ah! So it's a thing that all living beings have. Some go their entire lives without even recognizing they have it. There are three known _Haki,_ two of which everyone has the disposition to. The third one however is an ability granted to one in a million people and is said those that have it have the disposition to be great leaders."

"Does one of those three give you the ability to touch me?" Alvida asked, shocking them all around the table, save for Luffy, at the misinterpretation of her words. Nami had an angry look on her face, most likely due to the fact that Luffy could be looking at someone, an older woman no less, other than her despite his insistence on her being on his crew.

"I can't really tell since I usually have two of the three _Haki_ going at all times, even if they aren't at full power," Luffy adopted a thinking pose once more. "From the way you're putting it, you most likely ate an Akuma no Mi that affects stuff being able to touch you right?" At the mention of the Akuma no Mi being the reason for the conversation, Nami released a breath she did not realize she was holding.

"I ate the Sube-Sube no Mi. Most everything just slides off my skin because of my ability," the older woman helpfully supplied.

"Was wondering how you have such smooth skin," the Navigator muttered quietly to herself, somewhat envious of Alvida's beauty. She glanced in Luffy's direction when his hand caught her own under the table and squeezed it gently. He gave her a broad grin that she returned with a bashful smile and small blush.

"Then that would be _Busō-shoku no_ _Haki_ ," Luffy began, his eyes returning to the group around the table. "It allows the user to pretty much project their 'will power' into any part of their body, acting as armor that can negate the effects of Akuma no Mi." Hearing this shocked the five other seated pirates as this was news to them. Vice-Admirals could use something to fight Akuma no Mi ability users and everyone could one day train themselves to do so. "You can saturate any part of your body, or even your whole body with it and create a natural armor that most weapons can't penetrate. It does turn those body parts black though." As an example he lifted his free hand which turned black. "You can even project before your own attacks like an invisible force."

"This sounds unbelievable," Zoro muttered aloud with wide eyes, Kuina agreeing alongside him.

"You can even imbue weapons with _Busō-shoku no Haki_ and cut Logia users. Ah, people who ate an Akuma no Mi that turns them into natural elements like ice, fire, lightning, lava, smoke and such." Kuina and her childhood friend looked over at their swords in the corner with wide eyes, the implications of heightening their kenjutsu to new heights causing them to feel excited.

"Ah, the other _Haki_ I have going on passively is called _Kenbun-shoku_ _no Haki_. This one is like extra sensory perception if it makes it simple. However if you train it right you can even feel surface emotions and surface thoughts." Nami's head snapped in Luffy's direction eyes wide with rage and an angry look blooming on her face having realized that was how Luffy was able to read her so easy. It was an invasion of privacy, privacy of her own mind. Luffy looked at her calmly, a sad smile on his face and a kind yet apologetic look in his eyes. He squeezed her hand once more, doing his best calm her growing fury.

"I'm going outside," she started without preamble a few moments later, standing up with Luffy's hand in her own. If anyone was shocked by their held hands, no one said anything due to the tense atmosphere that had fallen. Luffy looked up at her, squeezing her hand once more. She looked down at him with a sad smile before slipping her hand out his own and making her way out of the cabin.

"I need to give her some time to mull this over," Luffy whispered when he felt everyone looking at him expectantly. "I'll know when she wants me to talk to her.

"Anyway," he began with a small shake of his head. "The last _Haki_ is called _Haō-shoku no Haki_. Only few in the entire world wield this power. Like I said before it is said those who have this have the disposition of a leader, or king as the name suggest. You literally use your own willpower to overpower your foe's own." He decided to hold off showing them since he turned his head towards the door that Nami had passed through few moments ago. Without even turning his head to look at them because he could them telling him to go to her he made his way out of the cabin toward where she was at the fore of their ship.

"Was it all a lie?" Nami asked aloud, looking toward the band of stars hanging in the night sky.

"I stopped using it the moment I felt the pain in your heart the moment we met," Luffy replied as he stood at her side, looking up at the stars as well. Nami turned her head a little to look at him out of the corner before turning her attention back to the stars. "I was taught that it's not nice look into a maiden's heart by my gramps."

"Chivalry?" she guessed.

"Compassion, empathy and understanding is more like it," he replied with a smile as he turned his head to look at Nami. His face adopted a serious look when his eyes caught her own. "None of it was a lie. I don't use people, you least of all."

"But you just used _Kenbun-shoku_ _no Haki_ to read my surface thoughts," she whispered quietly as wrapped her arms around herself protectively. Nami's eyes widened in surprise when she was wrapped in his embrace, his exposed abs and pecs brushing up against her clothed body. A shiver ran down her spine and she felt warm pool in her cheeks and down at her core.

"I want you to be here with me on my crew as my navigator, but if it hurts you too much to be here than you can leave. I won't force you to do something you to don't want to do." Nami's eyes grew wet with tears as she released her arms and threw her hands around Luffy. She did not care that he was reading her surface thoughts as she was beginning to realize he was far too kindhearted to take advantage of her heart. Love for this goofy, yet serious, kind, compassionate and easy going pirate was welling in her heart.

"Luffy," she whispered tearfully. "Luffy, help me, please." Her captain said nothing as he held her flush to his own body, rubbing her back in an effort to calm her down. When he felt her stop shaking he had to fight this urge to kiss her lips when she looked up at him like that. All he did was nuzzle his face in her neck, Nami doing the same thing. He then pulled them down to sit on the deck and rubbed her back up and down until her fall asleep in his lap. Luffy's own eyes closed a minute later.

* * *

"Where is everyone?" Luffy asked aloud as he and his crewmates disembarked from their moored sloop. They were currently leaving the north-northwestern port of Orange Town and making their way through the town. The problem they saw was that there were no signs of life despite the number of moored ships. They could tell that the inhabitants of this town had to leave in a hurry due to the fact they could see some bags of food and clothes scattered around them. What settled the assumption that a pirate raid had occurred were the number of destroyed home and graffiti signs of a unique clown-like Jolly Roger.

"Buggy the Clown was here," Nami stated as she suddenly formed a Bo staff from three separate lengths and gripped them in her hands. Kuina drew her _Wadō Ichimonji_ while Zoro drew his two unnamed swords after placing _Seiyū Heiwa_ in his mouth. Alvida's mace was in her hands ready to beat down anyone attempting to harm her nakama. Luffy meanwhile had closed his eyes spreading his senses out far and wide on the island to see where everything was at the moment. His eyes flew open when felt a small life force, the size of a small pet, fighting against the life force of an animal on par with a tigers. He had felt the defiance coming from animal and could not help but sympathize with it.

"Everyone! This way!" Luffy shouted as he ran quickly enough that he could get to the animal in time while at the same time allowing his nakama to follow him properly without losing their way. They ran past this old man on the way who was armed with a spear and barrel armor who shouted after them. The aforementioned old man soon chased after them wondering what they were doing running through his town. His answer was the young man with the Straw Hat shoulder checking a lion of things into a group of ten Buggy the Clown pirates.

"I won't let you touch this store! It's his precious treasure! I won't let you lay another hand on it!" Luffy shouted, standing in between the lion with his downed rider and the store. On the ground was Chouchou, the pet of the late pet store owner Hocker, bloodied and yipping in pain. Boodle could not believe his eyes as he beheld this odd young man who seemingly appeared out of nowhere and defended a dog of all things.

"W-Who are you guys?" Boodle asked as he fell to his knees. Nami turned back to older man while Alvida and Zoro jumped into the fray with Luffy and proceeded to beat the living snot out Mohji, his pet Richie, and the Buggy pirates. She and Kuina had decided to stay back and apply first aid to the injured dog.

"We're pirates," Nami said as she applied some antiseptic to Chouchou's wounds, shocking Boodle with both her words and actions, the former because one of them was protecting something sentimental while the latter because she was a pirate treating an unknown animal's wounds.

"B-But…" He trailed off when he saw Luffy send the lion and his rider flying nearly two kilometers into the air. "Why would pirates defend this shop and this dog? You gain nothing from doing this. I-I don't have anything to pay you back with."

"We don't need payment for something we did on a whim," Luffy told him as he, Zoro and Alvida made their way back to the three humans and one dog. "Besides, just because I'm a pirate doesn't mean I'm not human and have a heart."

"Y-You said that you won't let his treasure be touched anymore," Boodle said, referring to Chouchou and the pet store. "How did you know that?"

"Our captain is strong like that," Zoro said as he sat down on the steps to the pet store. "He can feel the emotions that come from people and their surface thoughts if he wants to. We may be pirates, but we're almost anything but that."

They were all interrupted when the line of buildings on the opposite side of the pet store were blown away all at once. Every single one of them had shocked looks on their faces save for Boodle who had an enraged look cross his face. The old man jumped up and shouted how he could no longer stand for Buggy the Clown destroying his precious town at his own leisure.

"Ne, Oyaji," Luffy began, his hand clamped firmly on Boodle's shoulder, stopping him from doing anything hasty. "You dying for this town will do nothing for the people who will need to rely on you when Buggy is gone."

"But I can't just sit here and do nothing!" Boodle shouted as he threw off Luffy's hand and round on the young man, a determined look on his face. That determined look was broken when he saw the hard look in Luffy's eyes.

"We'll deal with Buggy since we have business with him," Nami explained from behind Luffy. "It's just an added bonus that by defeating him we'll be saving your town." Luffy just smirked at the roundabout way Nami explained what they would be doing.

"Just like a pirate to beat another pirate without thinking about the consequences," Boodle sighed, realizing that these pirates were also looking out for him, his village and its citizens even if they would not admit it. He sat down beside a now patched up Chouchou and watched as the group of five pirates made their way toward Drinker's Pub, the place where Buggy was currently using as his base of operations.

* * *

"OI, BUGGY YOU BIG NOSED MORON! GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE!" A number of Buggy's men spat rum out of their mouths when they heard that loud declaration coming from over the edge of the roof they were on. Buggy stormed past him with Cabaji by his side, a look of utter contempt on the former's face.

"WHO'S GOT A BIG NOSE YOU FLASHY MORON?!" Buggy shouted from atop the Drinker's Pub, looking down upon a young man with an open red vest and straw hat and what looked like two sword wielders, one male and the other female.

"Shanks was right! Talk about his nose and he freaks out!" The one in the middle was then bashed upside the head by his two comrades who shouted at him to not provoke the enemy.

"I KNEW THAT STRAW HAT LOOKED FAMILIAR! USING INFORMATION ONLY KNOWN BETWEEN EVEN FORMER NAKAMA IS DIRTY!" Buggy shouted at the young man down below.

"Buggy, even though you were Shanks' friend once upon a time, I'm going to kick your ass so hard that you won't even be able to sit on air without hissing in pain!" Luffy boasted as he held up a fist at Buggy in challenge.

"Captain Buggy-sama," Cabaji said from the clown's side. "Allow me to deal these trash." Buggy only nodded, allowing his Chief of Staff to vault over the railings, riding his unicycle.

"A lion tamer, a clown and now a unicycle rider, you guys really are a circus act," Zoro groused as he drew his three swords when he saw Cabaji point his sword at Luffy. "You're fight is with me seeing as our captains are going to duke it out later."

"Remember to spread your senses out," Luffy reminded both Kuina and Zoro as he stepped back to give the latter room to fight his opponent.

"Roronoa Zoro," the unicycle riding swordsman began, "and Momotoya Kuina. The most famous swordsman-swordswoman bounty hunter duo in all of the East Blue." The man with the unique hair style licked his sword in anticipation. "I'm going to be famous for taking you down and taking your woman from you."

Zoro said nothing as he allowed the enemy pirate to ride closer to him. Calming his heart and opening his senses he could feel that Cabaji had something up his sleeve. He jumped back a few meters when Kuina shouted something about Cabaji using fire to blind Zoro. The Buggy Pirate cursed when his opponent somehow was able to anticipate what he was going to be doing.

"Thanks Kuina, but next time you butt into a duel I'm going to cut you down." Both he and Kuina knew that the former would never do such a thing, but it was more of the fact that Zoro felt that his honor was stained for receiving help in the middle of duel.

"So it seems that being a circus freak means that you've got underhanded tricks to use in a duel of swords," Zoro taunted as he pointed the two hand held swords at Cabaji, _Seiya Heiwa_ still horizontally held in his mouth. "If you want to beat me, beat me with your own swordsmanship. Because if you can't you will never be acknowledged as a better swordsman than me or Kuina!"

"Victory is all that matters, Roronoa Zoro!" Cabaji shouted as he suddenly started throwing spinning tops at the swordsman. Zoro's eyes narrowed as he once more stretched his senses out, suddenly able to see the trajectory of a number of the distractions. He could avoid those and cut the other ones down. The Buggy pirate screamed in fright as he saw Zoro dodging a number of his tops while utter destroying the ones he could not dodge all the while running towards him. Cabaji could not even react as he felt three slashes appear across his bare torso, sending him careening to the ground in defeat.

"To be defeated by such pirates," the swordsman groaned before he hit the cobblestone road.

"It's only because your swordsmanship will never match my own that you were defeated," Zoro answered as he sheathed _Seiya_ _Heiwa_ in its scabbard along with his two unnamed swords. "Not because I am a pirate."

"DIE A FLASHY DEATH YOU FLASHY BASTARD!" Buggy shouted as one of his hands came flying toward Zoro, four daggers in between the fingers ready to gouge a hole in Zoro. The attack was stopped when Kuina ran toward Zoro with _Wadō Ichimonji_ drawn, blocking the attack in the nick of time thanks to using _Kenbun-shoku_ _no Haki_ to discern any underhanded attacks.

"YOU'RE FIGHT IS WITH ME BUGGY!" Luffy shouted from down below before disappearing and reappearing in front of a one handed Buggy, his fist rocketing forward and burying itself in Buggy's gut. Buggy was surprised for a moment before using Bara-Bara Kinkyū Dasshutsu to separate his body. Because of the effective range of his dismemberment ability, the part of him that was impacted did not go flying far. That did not mean it did not hurt like a galleon ramming him at full speed.

Buggy watched from the air as his men charged at Luffy, surrounding the Straw Hat totting young man. His mouth dropped when all of them collapsed to the ground foaming at the ground as a cold chill went through his dismembered body.

'He's got _Haō-shoku no Haki_ just like Captain Roger,' Buggy thought fearfully. So far he had underestimated this pirate, but seeing him use the _Haki_ usually only kings were predisposed toward had him now second guessing himself. He realized even more how badly he was outmatched when suddenly Luffy appeared before him in a single jump and sent him flying so far with just a single punch. 'N-No way! How could I be beaten?!' the former cabin boy of Gol D. Roger thought angrily as he sailed through the air.

"So that was _Haō-shoku no Haki_?" Zoro asked once Luffy rejoined them back down on the road. "I'd expect nothing less from the man who'll by the Pirate King." Luffy grinned at the compliment from his crewmate that he was thinking he would make become his future first mate. They looked up and saw the remaining Buggy Pirates bugging out seeing as all of their top fighters were defeated so soundly. Luffy raised his hand in front of Kuina and Zoro, indicating to them that he would allow the defeated pirates to run.

"They have no will left to fight. Let them go." Kuina and Zoro acquiesced to their captain's orders realizing there was no more need to fight today. "Ah, I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry you big lug," an annoyed voice from behind the three point out. Luffy grinned as he turned around and saw his navigator, whose scowl turned into a grin, and Alvida behind them with several bags full of loot from Buggy's cache of treasure. A few moments later Boodle, Chouchou and the rest of the residents of Orange Town appeared from down the street. The residents were armed however, thinking that would need to take on these five pirates that were before them. The citizens of Orange Town were surprised however when they saw their mayor get on his knees and bow at the five pirates.

"Thank you so much! Thank you for saving our town! I can't begin to say my thanks!" he shouted as tears formed in his eyes.

"No need to thank us since we're pirates you know," Luffy waved off with a grin. "But if you wanna thank us, can you feed us?"

"Ah, I believe we can do that," Boodle said with a nod as he was helped up by his fellow citizens.

"Alright, it's a party! Woohoo!" Luffy shouted, fist in the air that was soon followed by shouts of celebration from the citizens and Luffy's crew.

* * *

"I know you want to keep the money Nami," Luffy began once the two of them were by themselves. The party had died down an hour or so ago and the two of them found themselves wandering over to a hill overlooking the sea. "But they need some source of income to rebuild their destroyed town."

"I want to be selfish Luffy," Nami replied, her head leaning on his shoulder, "but I can't condemn innocent people to something like this."

"You told me you wanted to gather one-million Beri Nami, why is that?" her captain asked, turning to look at her. She was quiet for a moment before she moved a little and lifted her left sleeve. Taking that as a prompt to look at it, he moved himself so that he was seated in front of her. His eyes zeroed in on the stylized saw tooth shark tattoo on her left shoulder.

"This tattoo-"

"It's a brand, don't call it a tattoo. Tattoos are given to nakama. Brands are for those who had their freedom taken," Luffy growled as he pulled Nami into a hug. His friend sniffled for a moment, before pushing away, needing to get this off her chest before she could truly cry.

"It's a brand that shows that I'm tied to the Arlong Pirates," she explained once more. "Arlong is a fishman who has an iron grip on my village and nineteen others on neighboring islands. He also has my mother imprisoned so that I follow his orders, or else..." She was stopped once more when Luffy pulled her into a hug and held her close to him. Nami cried into his chest, realizing that she had fallen in love with this fool of a pirate who would more than likely be the Pirate King one day because of his big and kind heart. "Thank you Luffy!" she cried, fisting the back of his vest, her tears flowing even harder. Nami finally accepted that no matter what, Luffy would help her no matter what she told him about her past because she had asked him to do so.

It was there in the shade of a lone palm tree on a bluff that Alvida, Kuina and Zoro found Luffy snoring lightly with Nami snuggled in his lap the following morning. They decided to let their captain and navigator have some more alone time before waking the up so that they could continue their journey to the Grand Line.

An hour or so later the five of them disembarked from the port of Orange Town with the cries of farewell from the town's citizens.

"Where to next Nami!" Luffy asked once more from his position at the fore of their sloop which was now loaded with supplies curtesy of the thankful residents of Orange Town.

"Syrup Village on the Gecko Islands captain!" she answered looking down at the sea chart in her hands, smiling all the while with Luffy's arm around her waist.

"Is she your girlfriend yet- DAMNIT KUINA, WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" Alvida simply chuckled from her spot across from the swordsman-swordswoman duo while Luffy and Nami ignored them too busy discussing what they would need to doing on the journey to Syrup Village.

* * *

Two days later a flotilla of Marine frigates and one Marine Man 'O' War lay off the waters of Orange Village. Boodle greeted the Marines who had arrived at the port, one of them he learned was Vice-Admiral Garp. He had then ushered them to the now repaired Drinker's Pub and offered all of the Marines drinks on the house.

"You wouldn't happen to have seen a boy with a Straw Hat passing through?" Garp asked as he took a swig from his whiskey. Helmeppo and Coby were seating to his side, both of them patiently waiting for the commander to finish.

"Yeah, he was a pirate that saved our town from the Buggy Pirates just a few days ago," Boodle answered, a flush on his face from the booze he had consumed. "He and that pretty orange haired girl were close now that I think about it. I think they make a nice couple!" he laughed taking another swig of his rum.

"My grandson is growing up!" Garp exclaimed as he downed his entire cup of whiskey. He ignored the comment about Luffy being a pirate because of his excitement over Luffy becoming a man. "This calls for a celebration!" he cried out, the other patrons of the bar shouting in excitement at Garp the Fist exclaiming that a celebration was to take place. They paused when they all heard snoring and exclaimed in shock when they saw Garp snoring away.

"HE FELL ASLEEP LIKE THAT?!" Coby and Helmeppo sighed, still not used to their commander's actions.

* * *

 **AN: Reviews and views help me know this story is loved. Also, I like pie.**


	5. Chapter 5 Life Lessons

**Disclaimer: 00 Quanta!**

 **WARNING ON THE FIRST CHAPTER! READ IT BEFORE PROCEEDING!**

* * *

Odyssey of the Will of 'D'

Chapter 5

Life Lessons

* * *

"The name of the island sounds familiar," Luffy remarked before biting in his second swordfish steak. "Where have I heard Syrup Village before?"

"Don't think too hard Luffy," Nami teased before spearing a steamed carrot, chewing it with a smile on her face. "You may hurt yourself." She squealed a little when she felt Luffy poke her side playfully, a grin on his face.

"Oi, oi," Zoro interrupted after slamming his mug down after taking a swig of his rum. "I don't wanna watch your flirting while I eat, it'll make me lose my appetite."

"Can I have your food then?" his captain asked while Nami poked his cheek stretching his flesh out as she did so. Zoro glared at the raven haired younger man before stabbing into his swordfish steak and wolfing it down in three bites. "Aw, you're no fun."

"AND YOU TWO MAKE ME SICK!" Zoro shouted once more referring to Luffy and Nami's flirting with one another while ignoring the entire world. He was swiftly slapped upside the head by a paper fan that Kuina had bought back at Orange Town for this express purpose. So far it had been used to reprimand Zoro at least five times today, thirteen times since she had purchased it. Of course while Zoro argued with Kuina due to her actions, Nami and Luffy began discussing their current course blushing, smiling and laughing all the while. Alvida merely looked on nostalgically, feeling somewhat left out due the age group differences between her and the rest of crew.

"Thanks for the food," the older woman murmured quietly as she pushed away from the table, her half-finished food already long grown cold. Kuina and Zoro paid her no mind, the latter grunting before resuming his argument with his childhood friend while said childhood friend paid him no mind while calmly eating her food. Nami realized that Luffy's eyes were trailing after Alvida's departing form and nudged him a little to grab his attention.

"Luffy?" Her captain turned his attention back to his navigator and tilted his head in question. "Do you know what's up?" By now Kuina had finished her food and pulled a struggling Zoro outside to give her captain and their navigator some privacy.

"She feels isolated," he answered as he looked up, his eyes narrowed as he looked past the roof of the cabin they were inside. "I'm going to need to talk to her. A captain has to address any problem his crewmates are going through so that they feel like they belong."

Nami nodded, understanding a little bit why Alvida was feeling isolated because of the two pairs of 'couples' that made up a majority of the crew. She jumped up from her seat and pulled Luffy along with her out of the cabin and looked around for the older woman so that they could discuss an important matter than could affect the future of their band of merry pirates. Seeing only Kuina and Zoro softly discussing something at their usual spot on the port side of the ship, Nami realized that Alvida was once more than likely hiding behind the cabin towards the aft of the ship. Turning around the corner of the cabin the orangette saw the older woman leaning against the railing looking up at the trail of stars far above their heads.

"Is there anything I can help with Nami, Captain Luffy?" the wielder of the massive mace asked quietly without looking back towards the two of them. Of the four that were being trained in the two all-encompassing _Haki_ it seemed the women took the best toward _Kenbun-shoku_ _no Haki_ , Alvida having the best grasp of it, while Zoro was more predisposed toward _Busō-shoku no_ _Haki_. That did not necessarily mean that they were not making progress in the other type of _Haki_.

"It's more like what we can do to help you Alvida," Luffy spoke up as he approached his crewmate. He did not detect any intention to shoo him and Nami so he took the spot to her left while Nami took the spot to the older woman's right. "What can we do to make you feel like you belong on this crew with us?"

A sly smirk encroached on Alvida's lips as she discreetly looked at the navigator beside her before surprising her by saying, "You can flirt with me like how you flirt like how you flirt with Nami." Nami had an outraged on her face look her face as Alvida turned her head to smirk at the younger woman. Both of them were surprised once more by what their captain was said next.

"We're flirting?" Luffy asked with a tilt of his head as he looked at his fellow Akuma no Mi ability user, his navigator looking over the older woman's shoulder at Luffy. "I'm just being honest with my feelings towards Nami. That's it." The honest words that came from their captain had Nami blushing madly while Alvida simply chuckled at the innocence that seemed to exude from her captain's person despite his serious nature.

"Don't worry about it captain," she waved off with a soft sigh, a bittersweet smile on her lips. She beheld the glittering stars that hung in the dark abyss above their heads and wondered if maybe somewhere out there was a world where she had someone dear to her like how Nami had Luffy. "It's something you have to deal with as you grow older." Nami and Luffy looked at her as she began what sounded like an important lesson on growing up. "I gave up being a woman and finding love in return for wanting to become a pirate."

"But being a pirate means you have more freedom that anyone else and you can do anything you want, like be a woman, love, aiming to be the greatest swordsmaster or mistress, map the entire world or become the Pirate King." Once more Alvida was shocked by how simple Luffy could make things seem with his pureness. Honestly if he did not shout that his dream was to become Pirate King then she sure to forget that he was actually a pirate altogether.

"If that's the case then may I become your lover since pirates don't have to listen to conventional thinking?" Nami's jaw dropped at the bold question that Alvida posed her captain. She was not sure how to properly react seeing the tension between Alvida and the rest of the crew could cause her to leave one day. But at the same time she did not want to take second place in Luffy's heart, even if her captain had not actually come out and said that they such a relationship.

"You have to ask Nami as well since I like both of you." Alvida and Nami's eyes flew towards the clueless Luffy before their eyes locked. "While I don't want to put Nami in a tough spot, I want you to stay on this ship since your mine and Nami's nakama. But like I told Nami a few nights ago, I won't force either her, or you now, to do something you don't want to do."

"Honestly, I can't tell if you're a pirate half the time," Nami muttered as she look up at the stars as well, mulling over her choices and their consequences in her mind. It took her a few minutes to come to her decision, but what settled it was peeking at Alvida out of the corner of her eye. She seemed so relaxed, content if she could name it further, now compared to all of the other times she saw the older woman. Sighing to herself she came to a decision that she never thought she would ever make, well at least behind becoming a pirate and falling in love with a pirate.

"It's fine." Both she and Alvida were surprised when they were pulled into a hug, squishing the two women together with the older woman brushing up against Luffy. Because of the powers she had, Nami slipped past Alvida and ended up on the other side of her captain. Neither of the women seemed all that mad however when they saw the brilliant and exuberant smile on the future Pirate King's face. In fact both of them were blushing, the older of the two not even remembering the last time she felt so happy.

It took a little getting used to, seeing Alvida flirt with Luffy, but Nami soon learned to tolerate it, even sometimes joining in on the flirting much to the chagrin of Zoro which caused Kuina amusement to no end. Of course the orangette had to get used to being flirted with by Luffy and Alvida as well. Of course Zoro would still make snarky comments, but he learned to just roll with it sometimes seeing as he was following a rather unconventional pirate captain. To say that morale of the crew was increased and the tension quelled was a forgone conclusion after that night.

* * *

Four days later after departing from Orange Town the crew of the sloop saw land in the distance, more than likely the archipelago that Gecko Island, and by default Syrup Village, was a part of. The closer they came to the land mass they realized that there was a seafaring vessel, a caravel with a ram figurehead at the bow, moving towards them on an intercept course. Nami pulled out her telescope to get a better look and saw that there was a black flag flying over the caravel's crow's nest signifying that it was a pirate vessel. The Jolly Roger was rather unique as it had the side profile of a skull with a large nose and what appeared to be a slingshot. It did not seem to be a well-known pirate's insignia as she was rather familiar with a number of the Jolly Roger's of the East Blue.

"What do you see Nami?" Luffy asked from her side as he shielded his eyes with his fingers and squinted at the ship.

"It's a pirate ship," she answered, feeling the excited vibes coming from her friend at the notion of getting into a fight with another pirate crew. "From what I can tell it looks like a small time crew."

"So they're weak," he pouted, crossing his arms.

"Not necessarily," Alvida pointed out, "We're a small time crew as well captain, even if you are aiming to become Pirate King." Luffy and his crew of pirates readied their weapons, or in Luffy's case his fist, in case a fight was coming their way.

"Ahoy there! My name is Captain Usopp!" a figure on the caravel declared to the five pirates once it pulled alongside their schooner. "If you are pirates then I suggest you turn back, for this island is protected by me and one-hundred thousand able pirates!"

"Ah, I knew the name of this island sounded familiar!" Luffy shouted aloud as he pointed at the long nosed fellow standing at the head deck of the caravel. "This island is the home of Yasopp, the sniper of the Shanks' pirate crew!"

"EH?!" his crew shouted as they realized that they were heading to the home of one of the lead members of one the strongest pirate crews on the four seas.

"And you're Usopp, his son!" Luffy shouted with a grin.

"Y-You know my dad?" Usopp asked in awe, wondering if this stranger had any stories of his father.

"Yeah!" the Straw Hat totting young man said with an excitable grin that matched Usopp's. "He wouldn't stop flapping his gums about having a son around my age!"

"H-He said that?" Usopp questioned as he felt tears coming, pride welling in his heart due to the fact that his father still thought of him fondly despite only knowing him for so short a time.

"Ah, he did! He also told me that no matter what he'd be proud to be your father! I even told him I would find him and make him a part of crew and show him that his own son could become a better sniper than him!" Now Usopp was freely crying as he could not believe that his dream of becoming a warrior of the seas was going to come true. "So how about it? You wanna join my crew?"

"Before I join your crew I have to make sure my home is safe," the long nosed young man told the man he would call captain soon, a troubled look on his face.

"What's wrong?" Luffy asked tilting his head. By now Nami and Alvida were steering their ship to the shore while Kuina and Zoro were squabbling once more, the latter doing much of it instead. Usopp's ship was doing the same, pulling to moor themselves towards the sloop's bow. The crew that appeared from the caravel surprised the merry band of five pirates, seeing as it was Usopp and three children. "Who are they?" the leader of the five pirates asked, pointing at the three kids once all nine of them were on the island.

"These are my brave minions." Said minions made a face at being called such. "This is Tamanegi, Ninjin and Piiman," he introduced pointing toward the boy with an onion like head, the boy with a red pirate headband and then finally a boy with a head like a pepper.

"We're the Usopp Pirates! Nice to meet you!" the three boys chorused as one before bowing politely to the pirates in front of them.

"Oh that's a nice name for your pirate crew!" the young man with a scar below his left eye laughed. "Ne, Nami what should we name our crew?" he asked the beautiful orange haired young woman to his right.

"YOU'RE PIRATES?!" the three younger native Gecko Island inhabitants shouted as one.

"Definitely not the Luffy Pirates," the now named Nami sighed, ignoring the antics of the three 'Usopp Pirates'. She adopted a thoughtful look on her face before coming to a conclusion. The orangette surprised her captain by stealing the hat from his head leaving him pouting and placing it on her own head. "How about the Straw Hat pirates in honor of the hat given to you by Shanks?"

"I love it!" Luffy shouted as he pulled her into a hug and spun her around, laughing all the while which Nami soon joined in. Zoro rolled his eyes and muttered something unkind before a paper fan impacted his head. Alvida just giggled from where she was. Usopp was blushing as he looked away and his minions were meanwhile gagging at the lovey-dovey action going on in front of them, saying something about 'cooties'.

Once she was done being spun around Nami half expected Luffy to steal back his Straw Hat, but was surprised to see that he did not reach for it once he was done spinning her.

"So you said you had a problem?" the orangette asked as she turned back to address the native Gecko Island inhabitants.

"Yeah, this peaceful island is going to turn into a battlefield in less than twenty-four hours," the son of Yasopp stated getting right down to the nitty-gritty. There was a serious look on his face that matched the ones that the three younger 'pirates' had on their own. "The butler of my friend isn't who he appears to be. He's actually Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates and he plans to kill my friend Kaya and take all of her money while settling down here in peace." Luffy's face hardened once he heard that and all of his crewmembers adopted similar looks.

"I confronted him, trying to force him to leave, but he was too strong." Usopp lifted his shirt and showed five very shallow cuts running from his left shoulder to his right hip. "He left me alive to make me live with the fact that I could do nothing to stop him." Tears poured from his eyes as he looked at his feet, his hands fisted at his sides. "I don't have the strength to stop him nor can I tell anyone else about this because no one will believe me since he is so respected in our village! PLEASE LEND ME YOUR STRENGTH TO PROTECT THE PEACE OF THIS VILLAGE!" he shouted as he got on his hands and knees, his head bowed in respect.

* * *

"Thank you for agreeing to help me," Usopp spoke quietly to Luffy as he and the other Straw Hat Pirates stared down the pirate ship that was flying the Jolly Roger of the Black Cat Pirates. They had discussed in length where it was that Kuro's band of pirates could possibly attack and had settled on it being the north coast seeing at it was an isolated place perfect for a surprise attack. Of course they had to move the caravel, the Going Merry, and the sloop to a safe area so that they could be out of the way.

"I told you that if you wanna thank me then join my crew," the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates stated plainly, a broad grin on his face as he cracked his knuckles in anticipation for the upcoming fight. Kuina and Zoro had their hands resting on the pommels of their respective katana while Alvida had her massive mace already in her right hand, surprising Usopp at the strength of the older woman. Nami meanwhile was spinning her Bo staff in her hand while licking her lips wondering how much treasure the Black Cat Pirates had on their boat. They only had to wait a minute or so before the ship ran aground and pirates with fake black pointy ears on their heads began to come ashore.

"Ah, you're that guy from before," a man stated as he walked before the crew of pirates. He had on heart shaped glasses and a fake beard and was dressed in a suit and top hat. "And who are these folks?"

"We're the guys who are going to kick your ass," Luffy stated as Kuina and Zoro drew their katana. Without preamble the five pirates sprinted toward the Black Cat Pirates while Usopp began to provide cover fire in the form of explosive pellets and shrapnel pellets.

"I-It's the swordsman-swordswoman duo!" one of the Black Cat Pirates shouted before flying backwards due to an explosion hitting the ground in front of him.

"W-What are they- ACK!" another unfortunate pirate was downed by a fist buried in his stomach that sent him flying into the side of the cliff. It was turning to a complete rout due to the combined forces of that mace wielding woman, the two sword wielders and the Straw Hat totting young man who was apparently their leader. Left, right and center, no matter where they went the forces of a seventy-five strong pirate crew were cut down with ease, their attacks seeming to do nothing to the cowboy hat totting woman who simply batted them away with her mace. The two sword wielders were a force to be reckoned with as they seemed to weave their attacks together in a symphony of destruction. It was the captain meanwhile that was doing the most as he seemed to be enjoying the fight, weaving past enemy combatants, forcing them to sometimes hit one another or hit an empty space before going down due to fists or kicks.

Jango, realizing that they were going to lose unless he did something called out for the Nyanban Brothers to enter the fray. When he saw Sham and Buchi appear on the rails of the ship Jango believed they may have a chance. That small glimmer of hope was squashed when he saw the two other strongest fighters of the Black Cat Pirates fall down from the ship and crash into the rocky coast.

* * *

Nami, quiet as a cat, had snuck onto the beached vessel intent on depriving the pirate ship of its loot, robbing the Black Cat Pirates blind. Using _Kenbun-shoku no Haki_ to detect any approaching threats she was able to avoid being spotted by any of the Black Cat Pirates while she closed the distance with the ship. Once onboard she had gotten the drop on two enemies by delivering a swift kick to their family jewels from behind followed by several swift smacks courtesy of her Bo staff topped off by two jabs each to the back of their heads. They fell off the ship and Nami could not help but snicker as she spun her _Busō-shoku no Haki_ infused Bo staff.

"Now to find their treasure," she giddily told herself as she went to explore the ship in search of treasure.

* * *

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!" an angry voice Usopp knew only too well shouted from his left. The sniper had used the cliffs as cover during the fight and had luckily enough not been at the same spot he had started the fight at, as he more than likely would have been cut down by an attack to the back.

"KURO!" Usopp shouted as he fired five explosive pellets, intent on stopping the former pirate captain. The faux-butler merely grunted before dodging all five pellets, letting them explode harmlessly behind him as he readjusted his glasses with the palm of his hand. The son of Yasopp always knew something was odd about that quirk knowing that the bastard did it so often that it could be assumed to be instinctive, even if anyone else could play it off as just an odd quirk.

"I will give you five minutes to deal with these punks and attack the village before I come down there myself and kill you all," Kuro threatened everyone as he pulled out his trademark Cat Claws.

"Did you just really threaten your own crew?" Luffy asked loud enough for the other pirate captain to hear.

"Of course I did," the man nicknamed 'Thousand Plans Kuro' sneered as he looked down upon the Straw Hat Pirates and his own former crew the Black Cat Pirates. "It is the job of a captain to discipline his men if they disobey his orders or are incapable of carrying them out!" Alvida shook her head, pitying this fool for a second as she had heard those words repeated but a scant week ago.

"So you're not just a coward who ran away from the sea," Luffy muttered quietly to himself. "You're also the kind of pirate I despise, the kind who would cut down his own nakama." He chuckled mockingly at the 'pirate' before him, the tone sending shivers down practically everyone's spine. "Usopp is one-thousand times the pirate you will ever be, Kuro."

"And why is that?" the butler sneered, distaste evident in his voice.

"Because Usopp is ready to risk his life for those he holds dear. He also would never run away from being a pirate once he declared himself one." Luffy then disappeared, surprising Usopp, Kuro and the Black Cat Pirates. The former pirate captain's eyes widened when he saw the Straw Hat totting young man appear in front of him, his left foot stomping the ground, shattering it in the process, as his right fist connected with Kuro's chest after traveling only five centimeter. The pain that ripped through Kuro's body was so much that not only did the former captain's glasses shatter but so did his Cat Clasw. The treacherous butler blacked out after two seconds still on his feet, the only real support keeping him standing being the fist still connected to his stomach. "My strength is Usopp's because he is my nakama," he told the now unconscious Kuro with finality as he pulled back his fist and allowed the defeated pirate to slump forward and drop onto the dirt.

"I'm done here Luffy!" Nami shouted as she dropped down from the Black Cat's ship. The eyes of the few conscious members of the defeated pirate crew bugged out when they saw that she was carrying what looked to be all of their treasure. There was not a thing they could do however as they realized they were totally outclassed by the small crew of pirates.

"Oh! How much of a haul is it?" Luffy shouted back as he began tossing the defeated combatants back onto their ship, uncaring that a few of them were being injured further.

"Y-You're letting us go?" Jango asked Luffy as he was hauled to his feet by the few able bodied members of his crew.

"Yeah, as long as you guys promise to never show your faces around here again," the other pirate captain said cheerfully as he threw another pirate onto the ship.

"One million Beri Luffy," Nami giggled from Luffy's side as she trotted over, the heavy sack of treasure being easily carried by her dainty frame.

"Oh that's a big haul," her captain exclaimed excitedly as he threw another pirate onto the ship, ignoring a now sweatdropping Jango who was wondering how he was being so pointedly ignored. In the back ground Zoro was chucking the pirates up onto the ship using both arms. One thing they had learned about Alvida was that her mace could retract it's spikes to act as a massive bat, and because of that Kuina was happily chucking pirates in the air with the older woman batting them onto the ship, pumping a fist every time she saw a pirate smack into the main mast. Jango slumped his shoulders in defeat, realizing that this punishment of theirs was light in comparison to what they could have received at the hands of Kuro.

"I thank you Straw Hat," Jango interrupted Nami and Luffy as they were discussing their goal of reaching one hundred million Beri, referring to the latter by his trademark Straw Hat. "Were it not for you, my crew and I would be dead at the hands of our former captain."

"I didn't do it for you guys," Luffy pointed out bluntly. "He just pissed me off," he shrugged.

"Still thank you," the captain of the Black Cats said as he bowed, wincing slightly at the pain.

"If you wanna thank us then make sure to never come back to this island and spread the word that anyone coming to this island that it's protect by the Straw Hat Pirates," Luffy declared, pointing a thumb at himself. Behind him Zoro was arguing with Kuina about who had thrown the most pirates back onboard before a paper fan impacted his face, their older crewmate laughing all the while.

"It is the least I can do," Jango nodded as he was helped up to the ship by his few remaining conscious crewmates.

* * *

"Usopp!" Kaya shouted as soon as she saw his form near the slopes of the north coast. Her childhood friend smiled widely seeing her safe and ran towards her. They embraced one another when they met, tears in both of their eyes. "Usopp! Klahadore- He-!"

"I know Kaya, I know," her friend whispered soothingly into her ear as he stroked her hair. The platinum blonde's hands gripped Usopp's shirt tightly as her emotions swelled. "I- My new crew and I stopped him from carrying out his plans."

"He- He told me was going to kill me right in front of you!" Usopp's eyes widened as he hugged Kaya closer to himself despite the fact the bastard was unconscious a few meters away from them. "That he was going to blame it all on you when he told the village! He told me everything he felt was a lie! I-I trusted him! He was like a brother to me!" she sniffled as she burrowed her face into Usopp's chest. "HOW COULD HE?!"

"Because he's a coward of a pirate who ran away from the sea," the long nosed young man said simply into her hair as he held her close. Kaya just cried even harder.

* * *

"The Going Merry is fully stocked with enough supplies to last you about a month," the designer of the Going Merry, a man named Merry, odd name for a man, who had hair like a sheep and ram horns, said to the now six Straw Hat Pirates. "However, from how much I've seen of Luffy-san's eating habits I can only guarantee that it'll last two weeks."

"Don't worry," Nami said from aboard the Going Merry, her crewmates, and captain already on board. She then bonked Luffy on the head and smiled down to Merry. "I'll make sure he fishes for his own food."

"But Nami! I want meat too! Not just fish!" Luffy pouted in the corner while Alvida consoled him by hugging him to herself.

"THEN DON'T SNACK WHEN IT'S COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY!" Nami shouted back at her captain.

"Are you two boyfriend and girl- DAMNIT KUINA! I'M GOING TO BURN THAT FAN!" Zoro shouted as he gave chase to his childhood friend who was giggling all the while.

* * *

"I don't want you to be pregnant Kaya," Usopp whispered quietly into his lover's hair as he held her in his embrace, far away from the prying eyes of his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates. "You're not strong enough to go through a pregnancy right now. I don't want you dying like my mom. I don't know what I'd do if I came back to see my motherless child. I don't want to be like my dad."

"Don't worry," Kaya whispered before pulling in for a kiss. "I'm on contraceptives right now. It's too early for us to have a child right now." She smiled beautiful up at her childhood friend and Usopp felt blood rush down there and up to his cheeks at the sight. "I want our child to meet their father when they come into the world and for him to always be there for them."

"I promise, one day I will return." One last kiss was shared between the pirate and young lady before Usopp and Kaya departed for the Going Merry, one to wish the other a fond farewell and the other to travel the seas and become a brave warrior of the waves.

As the Going Merry departed from Gecko Island, Usopp was crying from the rear deck, waving all the while at Kaya's shrinking form, the young lady doing the same as well with tears in her eyes. The sniper wiped his tears away before turning around and seeing the entire crew of the Straw Hat Pirates smiling at him kindly.

"Don't worry, we'll make sure you return to her," Luffy promised as he thumbed his puffed out chest proudly.

"Wha-?"

"The love you two share is obvious," the navigator of the crew pointed out with a smirk.

"Even though it sickens me that we have another love struck fool on this ship, I'll follow the captain's orders and make sure you get back here safely one day," the smirking swordsman with three swords promised.

"Even though you're one of those 'love struck fools'?" Alvida teased with a grin.

"OI!" Kuina just shook her head as she pulled a snarling Zoro away before he could get into a fight with the older woman.

"So where to next Nami?" Luffy asked as he wrapped an arm around his friend's waist and walked with her towards the fore of the ship. He then climbed up onto the figurehead and seated himself on it with Nami in his lap.

"Yes."

"Eh?"

"I said, 'Yes' you baka."

"Yes to what?"

"To the question you're supposed to be asking me."

"Oh! So you'll be my wife?" Luffy asked excitedly with a grin on his face.

"NOT THAT QUESTION!" Nami roared as she elbowed him in the ribs. "WAIT! MARRY YOU?!"

"So is that a no?"

"THERE IS A PROGRESSION TO THESE SORTS OF THINGS YOU BAKA!"

* * *

Three days later, like every other island they landed on, Garp was greeted by the leader of the island, this time being a young woman who could be no older than his grandson, his flotilla of frigates and a single Man 'O' War floating on the waves a good bit away so as to not upset the residents of Syrup Village. For a second he thought this was the girl the mayor of Orange Town was referring to, but realized the girl before him was blonde while the young woman Boodle spoke of had orange hair.

"Excuse me young miss, but you wouldn't happen to have met a young man with a Straw Hat and a pretty woman with orange hair would you?" Garp asked politely as he dined at the table with the young lady, Kaya, his two recruits standing at attention near the dining room doors.

"Ah yes, they passed by here not too long ago," Kaya replied as she sipped her tea. "They stopped my former butler, a man I found out was named Kuro, from carrying out his plan to assassinate me."

"My word!" Garp gasped, going along with the storytelling of the young lady.

"Indeed!" she agreed as she spooned some soup and sipped it daintily. "He and his crew, The Straw Hat Pirates, have vowed to protect this land from pirates should they ever come again." From the spots near the doors, Helmeppo and Coby cried tears of happiness having learned that their pirate friend was doing more good in the world once more.

"Is that so?" the grandfather of the pirate laughed heartily. "My grandson would have made a great Marine if he weren't a pirate!"

"Ah, Luffy-san is your grandson Vice-Admiral Garp?" Kaya asked with a gasp.

"Indeed! And I'd be happy to take Kuro off your hands to give you piece of mind."

"Thank you for that Garp-san."

"Now about my grandson and his lady friend…"

"Ah, yes. I heard a conversation between the two from the shore about marriage when they had departed."

"MY GRANDSON IS GOING TO GET MARRIED!" Garp cried like a baby once he heard that.

"It is indeed a momentous occasion Gar- MY WORD! SOMEONE CALL A DOCTOR!" Kaya shouted as Garp faceplanted into his soup having fallen asleep on the spot.

The pinkette and blonde Seaman Recruits could only sweatdrop once more at the antics of their commanding officer.

* * *

 **AN: I may not be updating for the next few days because I only work on these at night and because of my job I won't be able to do so. Hopefully this story gains some followers, favoriters, viewers and reviewers in the meantime.**


	6. Chapter 6 Qualities of the Heart

**Disclaimer: Ash nazg durbatulûk**

 **WARNING ON THE FIRST CHAPTER! READ IT BEFORE PROCEEDING!**

* * *

Odyssey of the Will of 'D'

Chapter 6

Qualities of the Heart

* * *

Despite Usopp being the physically weakest of the Straw Hat Pirates he was a rather ingenious individual as he had developed a number of the systems that were a part of the _Going Merry_. There was actually a water purifying system on board their ship that allowed them to convert salt water into drinking water, though the byproduct was an excessive amount of salt which they could sell at any major port for a pretty Beri. Being a caravel, the five senior members had thought that there would only be a rudder mechanism located in the aft cabin. Imagine their surprise when they found out there was actually a boat's wheel, the helm, instead located at the fore of the ship. Usopp had explained that he had pointed the flaw of the rudder control breaking in extreme waters to Merry and the two had set out to rework the _Going Merry_ to accommodate the new attachment.

The greatest invention of the ship however were its cannons. Rather than a smoothbore cannon like all other seafaring vessel, Usopp had instead created rifled barrels for the cannons explaining to his crewmates the fundamental mechanics behind aerodynamics and all of its nuances, which only Nami followed while everyone else tilted their heads except for Luffy who had fallen asleep the moment he heard the word parabola. Realizing he was losing his crewmates in his explanation, he had instead simplified be saying the ammunition would fly straight with only slight deviation, allowing for greater accuracy, range and penetration. He had then explained that he had gone on to explain the different ammunition he had created, lugging up two long, metal objects with pointy ends.

"Oho! What are those?!" Luffy excitably with stars in his eyes.

"These are armor piercing," Usopp patted the shell with a tipped black head, "and high explosive shells," he finished as he patted the side of the warheads. "These a special design of mine. They have a pointed end so that they are more aerodynamic and as they fly through the air gain more penetration."

"Why would we need penetration for ships?" Nami asked as she bent over and peered at the shells. "Aren't most ships wood?"

"Actually, most Marine ships have a steel citadel where the ammunition is kept. I've also seen news of the Marines granting Admirals and Vice-Admirals new ships that don't run on wind, meaning they can traverse the Calm Belt, and are made of steel. These armor piercing, or AP, shells are designed to penetrate that strong armor and detonate after trailing a certain distance after setting off the warhead."

"We're really going to be taking people's lives?" their captain muttered quietly as he looked at the shells before him.

"Luffy, the Marines are going to want our heads because we're pirates," Zoro pointed at, being one of the more down-to-earth types of the crew. "It's kill or be killed."

"I know," Luffy pouted as he fell onto his back onto the deck spread eagle and stared up at the passing clouds. "But I don't want to be a pirate that takes the lives of Marines for the fun of it. If we're going to use those things then we have to make sure it's only in the direst of circumstances and only by my orders."

"You're too soft captain," his first mate sighed as he grinned a little. "Then again we aren't your everyday pirates." Everyone nodded with grins, or smirks on their faces at that, unable to dispute the fact. "Alright Usopp, you heard the captain."

"Aye sir," the sniper of the Straw Hat Pirates nodded. "So as I was explaining, the high explosive rounds, or HE, are capable of doing less damage compared to the AP rounds, but they can cause fires on target due to the fact that they are armed the moment the warhead hits an object."

"We should use those then if we get into fights then," Luffy leaned back up still sitting on the deck but Indian style. "It should be able to deter anyone looking for a fight."

"I forgot to add that they do have a greater explosion radius compared to the explosion of AP, as AP are designed to explode the magazine of an enemy ship while HE are designed to explode no matter what and set a fire," Usopp added sheepishly with a grin.

"WHY ARE ALL OF YOUR WEAPONS CAPABLE OF DEADLY FORCE?!" Nami and Zoro shouted while Alvida and Kuina simply laughed at the cowering sniper being whacked on the head by the first mate and the navigator.

"Can you aim at the enemy sails with your guns?" the captain interrupted before his friends made the sniper into a lump of beaten flesh.

"I-I should be able to," the son of Yasopp coughed. "Why?"

"AP rounds should be used to take out the main mast of ships while- How long can HE travel through water before it stops?"

"All fired ammunition stops after approximately five meters of water," Usopp answered automatically, having long since tested this himself. "Do you want the HE fired at their rudder?"

"If your aim is good," Luffy challenged with a grin.

"Please," Usopp scoffed as he pulled out his slingshot. "I can take out that seagull from the fore deck with a single shot." The seagull he was referring to was of the portside bow nearly five hundred meters away with an altitude of one hundred meters. Everyone watched in rapt attention as Usopp walked to the fore deck of the _Going Merry_ , loaded an explosive pellet, paused, drew his slingshot and let it rip. Ten seconds later there was an explosion and a splash. Alvida and Kuina were wide eyed at the shot while Nami was whistling in appreciation at the sniper's aim. The first mate was smirking and the captain was shouting excitably with stars in his eyes at that perfect shot.

"Then our plan is to use AP rounds to take out their ability to catch wind while HE should be used to disable their maneuvering abilities," Luffy explained once Usopp returned to the group. "So how fast can the Merry go?"

"Eight knots on fair winds," Usopp once more supplied as he knew the Going Merry the best. "Two, maybe three, knots on poor winds." He hummed as he rubbed his chin with his hand. "Eleven knots if we have a strong wind. However if the winds are too strong, then I'm not sure we can sail as the sails aren't rated for high winds."

"You know a lot about ships," Luffy pointed out as everyone looked on in amazement at Usopp.

"This ship was a gift from Kaya, so of course I would know more about ships to be able to maintain her gift," the sniper explained with a grin.

* * *

The sloop, which they named the _East Goers_ in reference to their own crew's home sea and themselves, was usually tethered to the stern of the _Going Merry_ , trailing behind unmanned most of the time. However at this moment it was being used to ferry the crew's captain, navigator and cook to an uninhabited island to find food supplies for the ship. They were currently at half their current stock, but the nearest inhabited island was not for a few more days and they did not want to chance it with Luffy's stomach. So Luffy, Nami and Alvida had disembarked for the island, the navigator to watch over their captain, while said captain wanted to go explore the island while Alvida was there to decide what they could and could not use.

Kuina and her childhood friend had opted out so that they could train their kata while Usopp had turned down the offer to head to the island to train in _Kenbun-shoku no Haki_. Of course he would later be roped in to weight training with Zoro and endurance training with Kuina later so that he could at least keep up with the crew. They would then patrol the waters in case of any pirate ships.

"Do you have any idea what this island is Nami?" Luffy asked the orangette as he did an experimental tug on the rope between the sloop and the shore to ensure it was secure. He then nodded once he confirmed their boat was properly moored and dusted his hands before trotting over to where Alvida was leaning over Nami's shoulder, both staring intently at a chart.

"It's just an unexplored island as far as I know," Nami shrugged as her eyes scanned the sea chart of this sector of the East Blue so she could determine their heading. "Aha!" she cried as she pinned her right forefinger to the chart over a small island that was out of the way. From the looks of it, she determined it would take about another five to seven days to return to her home in the Conomi Islands on their current heading.

"So it's a mystery island?" Luffy asked as he poked his head in between Alvida and Nami's own heads.

"Yes, Luffy," Nami replied in a monotone voice, her face blank. "It's a mystery island."

"A mystery island that may have food for us to find," Alvida laughed from behind placing a dainty hand on Luffy's shoulder and patting it.

"YOSH! LET'S GO!" Luffy shouted at the mention of food as he grabbed both of them by the hands before sprinting off at a break neck pace while dragging a flailing Alvida and Nami, the former laughing with the latter screaming bloody murder. When they made it further inland, the orangette finally had enough before shouting for Luffy to slow down, as he had two people with him who were not as sturdy as himself. "Ah, sorry about that," he apologized as he suddenly stopped. That was a bad idea however as Alvida and Nami had blown past him, his arms stretching out as he still held onto their hands. His arms then stopped for a few moments before flying back with their precious cargo.

"I HATE YOU LUFFY!" Nami cried as she came flying back towards the young man. The other woman who was careening back towards Luffy was merely laughing all the way, amused beyond belief. When his arms finally snapped back into place with Alvida and Nami, both of the women felt their heads wobble back and forth. They then fell over, Nami face forward into the grass while Alvida collapsed onto her rear.

"You too shouldn't be resting in the middle of nowhere," Luffy told the two of them matter-of-factly.

"AND WHOSE FAULT IS THAT?!" Nami roared as she shot up and whacked Luffy upside the head. Alvida, not one to take kindly to manhandling, even by the likes of Luffy, simply backhanded Luffy once she stood back up, sending him spinning a little. His two lovers then high-fived one another with small smirks on their faces.

"Ow."

"You have no one to blame but yourself," the older woman pointed out as she crouched down next Luffy.

"That was mean of you two."

"Quit being a baby," Nami sighed as she plopped down beside the form of her captain. "That did not hurt at all."

"You were still too mean," he pouted back, puffing up his cheeks in defiance.

"Just give us a heads up before pulling a stunt like that," Alvida sighed as she sat on the other side of Luffy.

"Something along the lines of 'Hang on for dear life' or related therein of," the orangette teased with a smile as she poked her friend's puffed up cheek. "Or else we'll keep punishing you."

"Oh fine," the future Pirate King moaned, relenting to the combined stares from both Alvida and Nami.

"How about we make it up to you," Alvida began looking over at Nami.

"Hmmm?" Luffy asked, looking between the two women.

"I agree," Nami replied with a sly smile. "We should make it up to you."

"Why don't I like those smiles?"

"Whatever do you mean, Luffy~? " Alvida cooed, her lips taking on a pouty look. Luffy immediately blushed when he saw the look in her eyes. He had seen that look before in Makino's eyes when she was gazing at Shanks. The two had then disappeared a little while later before Luffy had gone to find them and had stumbled upon them doing the deed. It was afterward that he was taught the 'Birds and the Bees' by Shanks and a blushing Makino. For an entire month Luffy was unable to look in Makino's direction without blushing in remembrance of that scene.

"Yeah~ " Nami cooed from his side as well, causing him to gulp now. He knew he was doomed. "We're just going to make~ it~ up~ to~ you~ " As one Alvida and Nami then descended onto their lover, their lips puckered up. Luffy's eyes were wide as he simply froze and was only able to utter one sentence in panic.

"It's too soon for me to lose my virginity!" he cried out as he waited for the inevitable. Before Nami and Alvida could pull back laughing that they were joking a voice rang out throughout the forest.

"DO NOT DEFILE MY FOREST WITH YOUR FORNICATING!" Quick as a flash Luffy sprung up in a battle ready stance, his eyes scanning the surrounding jungle while Alvida and Nami went flanked his sides and formed a triangle so that they had each other's backs. All three had their _Haki_ running, scanning their surroundings so that they could pinpoint the source of the voice.

"I found him!" Nami shouted as she ran off in the direction where the owner of the voice was. Luffy and Alvida followed after her, the former ready to kick the ass of whoever was raring for a fight while the latter was itching to kick the ass of whoever stopped her and Nami's prank. The eyes of the three crewmembers of the Straw Pirates widened when they felt a tingle. The two women quickly ducked as not but a few seconds later Luffy's gut ate a bullet after the telltale bang of a flintlock pistol rang out. Being a Rubber Man caused him to feel no pain from the projectile and instead caused it to go flying back into the direction it was fired, scaring the wits out of the owner of the weapon.

"What are you?!" the voice rang out once more.

"Ah, I'm a Rubber Man since I ate the Gomu-Gomu no Mi," Luffy explained as he extended his neck up two meters once more. Long ago he had thought of introducing his powers by stretching his cheeks, but this action seemed more amusing.

"An Akuma no Mi ability user?!" the voice screeched out loud as if it were panicking.

"There's actually another Akuma no Mi user here besides our captain," the cowboy totting older woman pointed out, raising her hand. The three of them were surprised when out of the bushes walked an older tanned man who was only half a meter tall with only his head, arms and legs sticking out of a wooden chest. What they had thought was a bush was actually his hair that dwarfed even his body.

"Woah! You're a man in a chest!" Luffy cried out, overlooking that he was shot at by this man not too long ago. "Were you a sheltered child?"

"Yes, I actually was," the man replied with an uneasy smile. "Since I was a child my parents spoiled and pampered me until- Cut it with the slapstick!" the guy shouted with an annoyed look. He then coughed into his hand before beginning again. "I stand no chance against two Akuma no Mi ability users, so please take the treasure on this island and leave me and my friends in peace."

"Treasure?" Nami questioned, her eyes full of stars.

"Friends?" the Straw Hat totting young man asked with a tilt of his head. As if on que a number of animals, some being the combination of two preexisting species, appeared all around them from the trees and bushes. They looked both frightened and curious at the new visitors.

"My names is Gaimon," the treasure chest man introduced himself, "And these animals have been my friends for the last twenty years that I've spent guarding the treasure hidden away here." He laughed a little when a few of the animals playfully licked his face.

"Twenty years?" Nami and Alvida gasped. Gaimon merely nodded and went on to tell his tale of how he was once a pirate and that his crew had visited this island nearly two decades ago. He then narrated that his crew had given up finding the treasure of the island and how he had climbed a small plateau, the very same that stood mockingly in the middle of the island, to find a half-dozen treasure chest before slipping and tumbling down before finding his body stuck in a chest.

"I went to find my crew and tell them of what I had found but it was too late," the chest man sniffed pitifully. One of the animals decided to snuggle up beside him and nuzzle into him, hoping to cheer him up. It did the trick as he smiled sadly in thanks. "They had already left and I was stuck alone on this island. In time I befriended all the animals you see around us and decided to protect this island's treasure from anyone who was looking for it since I had already claimed it."

"We actually weren't looking for treasure," Nami admitted with a shrug.

"You weren't?"

"We were actually looking to restock our food supplies because of this baka," the older woman admitted with a sigh as she bopped her captain's head playfully. "He's simply insatiable " she teased her captain with a smile. Though he understood that there was an innuendo there, he ignored it while smiling at Gaimon.

"My friends and I have many stocks of fish if that's fine with you," Gaimon told them, fighting down the blush that was trying to creep onto his face.

"That's great!" Luffy cheered. "How about in return I grab those treasure for you since you've been guarding them for so long."

"So long as we get two of the chests!" Nami added over Luffy's shoulder.

"Y-You guys would do that for me?" Gaimon asked as tears began to well in his eyes.

"Of course!" the over exuberant pirate laughed. "In fact how about we get your treasure right now!"

"You guys are the greatest!" the chest man bawled, Alvida and Nami smiling at their captain all the while.

* * *

"I found them!" Luffy cried out as he landed on the plateau, his sandals making a quiet thump. Gathered around the point he had jumped from were Alvida, Nami, Gaimon and all of the strange animals of the island with their collective heads looking up in anticipation.

"Alright Luffy!" Nami cheered while Alvida smiled.

"C'mon and bring them down!" Gaimon shouted up to Luffy, who appeared near the edge with a treasure chest tucked under his arm, his eagerness soaring as he had always dreamed of seeing the treasure he had glimpsed for but only a moment. The smiles on Alvida and Nami's lips disappeared when they saw the sad smile on their captain's face.

"I can't do that," Luffy answered.

"Oh no," his navigator whispered quietly to herself, sneaking a pitying look at Gaimon.

"I'm so sorry," Alvida murmured as she bent down to place a reassuring pat on the former pirate's shoulder.

"What? What's wrong?" Gaimon questioned, wondering why his newest friends were acting so weird. His eyes widened when it suddenly dawned on him. He then smiled sadly as tears welled in his eyes once more before looking back up at Luffy. "It was always a fear I had… They really are empty aren't they?"

"Yeah," the pirate captain replied with a sad smile. His smile grew though when he said, "But look at it this way, you finally have some closure!"

"You really are a good guy young man!" the chest man cried out as the animals surrounded him so that he could feel their support.

"My name's Monkey D. Luffy! Shishishi!" the young man laughed. "How about you join my pirate crew old man?"

* * *

"It was nice of you to offer Gaimon a place on our crew," Nami spoke softly to her lover as the three Straw Hat Pirates sailed away in their sloop back to the _Going Merry_.

"It would have made for a very interesting crew," the older woman admitted from the other side of Luffy.

"Those animals are his nakama and need him more than he needs us," the raven haired young man whispered fondly as he gazed at the island. "Besides, if he joined us and brought his friends I'm worried I might have eaten one of them!" he joked with a boyish grin on his face that earned a smack to the back of the head from both of his crewmates.

* * *

Two days later Usopp was tinkering away working on something, a weapon at that, in the men's quarters he shared with the first mate and captain. Luffy had complained loudly when he was told that the nice room, which was now the women's room, was not his despite him being the captain of the crew. Despite it being the men's room however, Zoro had somehow ended up with Kuina always sleeping on him in his hammock, much to the swordsman's ire. The same could be said for Luffy as he would sometimes be found snuggling into Alvida or Nami in their shared room.

The weapon he was working on would be his greatest invention to date, as it was requisitioned by the Straw Hat Pirate's own navigator to replace her aging Bo staff. Simple in design to the untrained eye, it was a collection of metal pipes with differing attachments that when used in a particular fashion could affect the weather of a specific area. A fitting weapon for the weather-sensitive staff wielder. He was so far ten hours into his work when suddenly he was called from above by the voice of his captain.

"Hmmm?" Usopp wondered as he poked his head out of the hatch in the deck. The Gecko Island native was greeted by the sight of two tanned sword wielders, one wearing a blue coat and sunglass, the other donning an odd headgear and green jacket, and the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates. Currently the one in the green coat was drinking lime juice while the blue coat wearing man worried over him while helping him drink the juice. "Who are they?"

"These two jokesters are Johnny and Yosaku," the first mate of the Straw Hat Pirates said, first indicating the man with 海 tattooed to his left cheek and then the man with the yellow shorts that was being force-fed the lime juice. By now Usopp had fully hoisted himself out of the hatch and was now standing on the deck looking the two newcomers over. "They're bounty hunters just like Kuina and I were."

"So you're a pirate now Zoro-aniki, Kuina-nee?" the man in the sunglasses asked, Yosaku now finished drinking the juice and resting so that he could recover from the scurvy he had caught.

"Yeah," Kuina replied with a shrug. "A lot of things happened in Shells Town and we decided to join up with Luffy and his crew," she finished with a smile as she leaned against Zoro's shoulder.

"Hmmm? Luffy?" Johnny then turned towards the rest of the crew and gave them a look over. His eyes passed over the young man with the open red vest, blue shorts and Straw Hat and stopped on him. "You wouldn't happen to be Monkey D. Luffy?"

"Nn, I am," Luffy nodded.

"You're currently being hunted by the Marines," the bounty hunted pointed out as the jaws of the Straw Hat Pirates dropped. Johnny then opened his jacket and rummaged through his pockets looking for something before pulling out a stack of parchment. He rifled through them before stopping on one and turning it around, holding it out to the crew to see.

It was a picture of Luffy grinning his boyish grin with his arm wrapped around the shoulder of a smiling Nami who had this very content look in her eyes. From the looks of it, the picture was taken during the festivities after Orange Town had been saved from Buggy the Clown. The picture had been taken by a resident of the saved town and more than likely a Marine had confiscated it for Marine related purposes.

Under the picture was the word 'Alive' with his name 'Monkey D. Luffy' written under it. All the eyes of the Straw Hat Pirates trailed down to the bounty and everyone, save for Luffy's own, eye bugged out at the number.

"SEVENTY-FIVE MILLION BERI!" everyone roared while looking at the bounty poster.

"Mou, I was hoping for a little more than that," the captain pouted before a fist smacked down onto his head courtesy of his navigator.

"YOU IDIOT! A BOUNTY THIS HIGH IS BOUND TO ATTRACT THE MARINE'S ATTENTION!" she roared while she shook her friend's shoulders.

"From what I heard Nami-aneki, the one who posted the bounty was Vice-Admiral Garp," Johnny supplied, hoping to help the situation.

"Oh, so that's how they got a picture of you two," Zoro observed with a smirk. A smirk which grew upon seeing the reddening of the navigator's cheeks.

"Ah, Gramps didn't make it high enough." Once more a fist impacted his head, this time belonging to Alvida who was slowly losing her patience with her lover.

"EXACTLY HOW HIGH DID YOU WANT IT?!" the usually calm and collected older woman shouted as she grabbed the edges of his vest and hauled him up and shook him furiously.

"One-hundred million Beri," Luffy replied as he was shaken back and forth.

"One-hundred," their navigator sighed as she fainted backwards, hand held to her forehead.

"Million Beri," the cowboy hat totting older woman finished in a mumble as she collapsed backwards as well.

"Looks like his grandpa is trying to catch his stupid ass," Zoro muttered aloud as everyone watched Luffy fan Nami and Alvida with his hat, his face perplexed as he tried to understand why his two friends had fainted.

"Is that why it says 'Alive', because he's related to the Marine Hero?" Johnny asked his fellow bounty hunter.

"H-He's related to Garp the Hero," Usopp murmured to himself as he leaned against the main mast, his face ashen with fear. "We're doomed. I'm never going to see Kaya again." The pointy nosed young man's mouth soon began to foam before he lost consciousness.

"Nah, I think it more has to do with the fact that Luffy's grandpa wants him to become a Marine," the Santōryū swordsman pointed out with a smirk.

"Ah! That's a bad as becoming a Shichibukai!" Luffy shouted after helping Alvida and Nami up after the two of them had regained consciousness. "A marine is bound by the orders of the World Government and so are the Shichibukai! A bunch of them are too scared to stand up for their freedom so they bargain with the World Government to leave them alone so long as they listen to the government's orders!"

"But why seventy-five million Beri?" Nami wondered aloud as she rubbed her aching head. "The East Blue is the most peaceful of the Four Seas with the average bounty being three million Beri."

"Ah, that's probably because he trained me," her captain said with a grin. The navigator just sighed, too tired to even hit her friend. "But seventy-five million is too low. I thought he would rate me at one-hundred million."

"He probably doesn't want anyone else coming after you Luffy, because if your bounty was one-hundred million as opposed to seventy-five million, a flotilla would be sent to capture you," the unofficial chef of the Straw Hat Pirates pointed out as she massaged her temples. "But seeing as Garp, the greatest Marine ever, is already in the East Blue Marine HQ must be letting him deal with you."

"Sounds reasonable," Kuina agreed as she and the rest of the crew stared at Luffy as he held the wanted poster and laughed like a child. Every single one of them sweatdropped when the wind blew the poster out of his hands and blew it over the water when it settled followed by Luffy diving in after it.

"You sure he's the captain?" Johnny asked as he looked overboard to see the Straw Hat floating on the water. He was referring to the fact that their crew was named the Straw Hat Pirates after the headgear he wore without fail.

"I think there's a correlation between the more powerful someone gets in relation to how much more insane they become," Nami muttered with her face held in her hand, an annoyed look spread across her features. She smiled in spite of herself when Luffy sprung out of the water with the poster in his hand, hat back on and a grin on his lips. 'But I wouldn't want him to be anyone else.'

* * *

"So you said the restaurant ship is nearby?" Alvida asked the sunglasses wearing swordsman of the bounty hunter duo once the _Going Merry_ , along with the _East Goers_ and _Hound Dog_ , Johnny and Yosaku's own sloop, roped behind it, was sailing on the new heading her navigator had spun up. Their destination was the floating restaurant _Baratie_ , a ship that was said to home to the most hot-blooded cooks in all of the East Blue. Luffy likened them to pirates after Yosaku told them that the chefs usually beat up any rowdy customers, usually pirates.

"Ah, Alvida-aneki." The older woman's eyebrow twitched at the honorific, but she held her tongue, as it could have been worse: like ba-san. "They usually have a buoy out by at least five nautical miles that always points in the direction of the ship. Since we were heading east last time we saw it, which was about a day ago, it should still be in the same area as they like to keep anchored for a while to let customers spread the word that they're in the area."

"Why do we need a cook?" Luffy moaned from his spot in the crow's nest, Nami beside him looking over sea charts to get a fix on their current location.

"We need a dedicated cook because none of us can cook a wide enough variety of foods nor do any of us actually have the knowledge on nutrition," his orange haired friend muttered as she gripped her sea chart, having repeated the sentence six times by now. "Besides, we're not just getting any cook. We're getting a pirate cook, one who knows how to fight." She turned her head and looked him straight in the eyes now. "Don't you want more nakama?"

"Of course!" he cried out with a boisterous grin. "Getting new nakama means adventures! And more nakama means more exciting adventures afterward and more fun all around!"

"See?" she grinned back at him, always feeling his happiness infecting her and lifting her spirits. "And besides, maybe they'll be able to cook dishes other than meals, like cakes or pastries." Nami sighed as she remembered the decadent chocolate cake Merry served them back at Kaya's mansion. "I've been dying to have a good sweet again."

"Yeah! And maybe they'll cook me more meat since you're always stingy when it comes to my portions!"

"MAYBE IF YOU WEREN'T ALWAYS EATING US OUT OF OUR STOCK I WOULDN'T NEED TO CUT YOUR PORTION!" Nami roared as she thwacked him over the head with a curled up sea chart that was now colored black, her _Busō-shoku no Haki_ unconsciously being used.

* * *

"Luffy!" Everyone turned their heads up to see Usopp in the crow's nest with the crow's nest spyglass in his hands staring off into the distance. Alvida and Nami had just left the women's quarters while Kuina, Zoro and Luffy were exiting the aft cabin. The two bounty hunters had been woken up from their nap on the port side railing. "We have a ship fifteen degrees off the starboard bow, range estimated to be half a klick out! Silhouette matches that of a three mast barque! From the markings… It's the Marines!" he shouted.

"Usopp!" their captain cried out, everyone's attention no on him. "I want you to man the forward cannon and load an AP shell and get a targeting solution on their main mast!" Luffy ordered as everyone began to ready themselves for battle. "Kuina! Relieve Usopp of his position and keep us updated on the Marine ship's activities!"

"Roger!" Kuina shouted as she climbed the ropes leading to the crow's nest while Usopp jumped down from his position and raced to the forward firing positon.

"Alvida! Take the helm! Nami I want you to assist in navigation!" The two women nodded before racing to the helm. Zoro was calmly standing beside his captain, having not moved a muscle, waiting for his orders.

"So what are you and I gonna do Luffy?" the green haired swordsman asked from Luffy's side. He smirked when he saw the eager grin bloom on the Straw Hat Pirate's captain's face.

"Bring us to starboard fifteen degrees!" Nami cried out. Alvida nodded, spinning the wheel so that the rudder could shift and bring them about so that the fore gun was aiming at the barque dead ahead.

"Kick their ass if they're looking for a fight," he answered. From the main deck Johnny and Yosaku had their jaws hanging as they quickly realized there was a reason why Luffy started out with such a high bounty. He was a natural born leader who knew what needed to be done when he was counted on and could in calm times make his crew feel like they were not outlaws but rather a group of friends sailing for fun.

"Update captain!" Kuina shouted as she kept an eye on Marine barque for signs of activity. "The Marine ship is at action stations with its full complement of port side cannons, ten in all, trained in our direction! I see Marines at the ready on the deck! I do not see anyone higher than ensign rank on deck! However, I see that they are currently flying the three signal flags! They are a yellow flag with a black circle, a half-yellow, half-blue flag, followed by a yellow and black checkered flag!"

Luffy grunted, remembering the list of signal flags his grandpa had pounded into his head. It seemed that they were looking to more than likely interrogate him and his crew. At least they were willing to talk. He knew this encounter on the seas could only end in a fight, one he did not want to get into at the moment because he wanted food, vast amounts of meat.

"Usopp! New firing solution: aim at their bow and take off their figurehead! Let's see if they'll retreat!"

"Aye!" A few seconds later as the Marine schooner heaved to port, a smoke plum bloomed from the _Going Merry_ 's bow and an AP shell zoomed out before impacting the figurehead of the Marine ship, blowing it to smithereens before continuing on and then plunking into the drink.

"Kuina, update!" Zoro shouted from Luffy's side. No one of the crew said questioned his command as he was the first mate and executive officer of the _Going Merry_.

"The Marines on board are scrambling about right now!"

"Good!" Zoro cheered as the rest smiled in relief.

"Usopp! HE to their rudder!"

"Aye!" The sniper had anticipated that command before Luffy had even uttered it, as he had immediately loaded the cannon breach with an HE shell once it was cleared. A second smoke cloud bloomed from the _Merry_ 's bow as an HE shell sailed into the water at close to the aft of the schooner. A small explosion occurred a second later as the Marine ship heaved its aft upwards, its rudder completely gone, before splashing back down on the seas.

"They're hoisting a white flag!" Every single Straw Hat Pirate, including their two passengers, cheered at their first ship to ship victory on the high seas.

* * *

"I can see why their captain has a seventy-five million Beri bounty on his head," the executive officer, an Ensign Samuels, of Lieutenant Fullbody's barque, the _Iron Constitution_ , muttered as he surveyed the damage done to the ship's figurehead which was once a beautiful mermaid. "Helm! Damage report on steering!"

"Controls are unresponsive sir!" the Chief Petty Officer reported.

"SITREP on the rudder sir!" the Quartermaster, a Chief Warrant Officer Two, reported as he returned from the aft section of the barque. "From the divers' report the rudder has lost seventy-five percent of its structure." Samuels grunted, realizing that they were currently adrift as it was since they had no steering.

"Send a report to Marine Branch Two-Seven requesting a towing Dai-Umi Mushi to grid seven-six, sector one-three-five for immediate towing to Marine Dockyard One-Nine." He then paused before remembering the shell that quickly took their boat out of action. "Also tell them to bring a three-mast schooner equipped with a full diving crew! We need to recover those shells fired at us for the boys back at Headquarters!" the ensign barked to the Communications officer who snapped a crisp salute before scurrying away to when the Den-Den Mushi was kept.

Samuels sighed as he realized that his friend and commanding officer, Fullbody, was not going to be pleased that the ship they had been recently commissioned on was now adrift after a very brief encounter with the Straw Hat Pirates.

"Maybe he'll understand," he muttered as he made his way back to the officers' cabins. It would not be until another hour before they realized that in the excitement of the skirmish that their prisoner of the infamous Krieg Pirates had escaped through the hole in his cell.

* * *

Once they found the _Baratie_ , the crew decided who would be disembarking. They all reached a consensus however that it should be safe to moor their ship alongside the _Baratie_ and the number of civilian galleons. Once they dropped anchor and tied their ship alongside the floating restaurants wooden boards, the six Straw Hat Pirates and two bounty hunters headed towards the triple decked, two mast ship with a fish head and tail fin.

When the Straw Hats and bounty hunter duo were seated at their circular table, with the order being Alvida, Luffy, Nami, Zoro, Kuina, Johnny, Yosaku and Usopp, in the first deck restaurant of the _Baratie_ , they did their best to ignore the conversations that resumed once they took their seats. All conversation had ceased when Luffy and Nami had pushed open the doors, and that usually only happened when someone of reputation or notoriety appeared. Nami had blushed at the eyes that had followed them from the door to their table, cursing Luffy for his inherent obliviousness.

"Oh my."

"Is that?"

"He looks so handsome!"

"Is that his mistress?"

"She looks like a pirate."

"I can't believe Monkey D. Luffy is here!"

"Do you think he'll sign my wanted poster?"

"Reckon he'll let me join his crew?"

"Is that Roronoa Zoro?"

"Momotoya Kuina is here too!"

"I heard from my cousin that they defeated Buggy the Clown!"

"My sister's boyfriend's niece told me that they've saved three towns so far! And it hasn't been a month since they set sail!"

"Wow! A real pirate!"

"Hmmm?" Luffy tilted his head as he heard snippets of the conversations going on around him. "Nami do you know who they're talking about?" Alvida merely giggled behind her hand as her eyes scanned the selection of dishes they had on her menu.

"Oblivious baka," Nami muttered as she fought down a blush hearing, "Aww, it already looks like he's taken," and, "Lucky bastard to have a girl like that". Her eyes landed on the appetizers and felt some drool enter the corner of her mouth at the sound of fruit salad brimming with melon, cantaloupe, kiwi, fresh strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and raspberries and mikan slices topped with a light vinaigrette.

"Found something?" her captain asked as he looked over her shoulder. She turned her head at the same time he did and both realized how close their faces were. Nami's blush grew once more and Luffy felt his own cheeks set ablaze when he saw the orangette stare at his lips before licking her own and then staring him in the eyes. "You smell like mikan."

"Mmmm," she hummed without breaking eye contact. "It's my shampoo." Before they could do or say anything else, two voices interrupted them.

"Are you going to ask her out yet?!" Zoro asked in a snarky tone from the other side of Nami, having unfortunately watched the entire scene. A paper fan soon impacted his head from behind.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but this is a restaurant, not a hotel. Please kindly keep any public displays of affections to a minimum," a sweet female voice interrupted from in front of their table. Everyone's head turned and beheld a woman with pink hair in a bob cut wearing glasses, a white button up shirt and pink business suit and matching pink pencil skirt. The most striking feature of her face however was not her pink hair, but her eyebrows that seemed to swirl at the end. "My name is Reiju," she introduced herself with a slight incline of her head. "I'll be your server for the evening."

"Ah, Reiju is so pretty as usual."

"She is a goddess."

"I wish she would share her beauty secrets with me."

"Hey pay attention to me!"

"If I weren't married to my husband I would so ask her out."

"Marry me Reiju!"

"What can I get you folks to drink?" she asked as she pulled a pen out from the spine of her small notebook. Two mikan juices for Nami and Luffy, lime juice for Yosaku, sake for Kuina, Zoro and Johnny, port wine for Alvida and Oolong tea for Usopp were ordered by the eight customers. "And any appetizers? May I suggest the breaded calamari and olive oil roast mussels? Or maybe cooked red tailed lizards for the young man in the straw hat? Or snapping turtle soup?" Nami's blush went full nuclear when she realized that those two selections were for boosting one's libido.

"Oh, oh! Do they have a lot of meat?" he questioned with a grin.

"Ignore him," the orangette muttered from beside him as she slapped a hand over his mouth. "He'll just have the Honey-Smoked Pork Skewers and I'll order the Fruit Garden Salad."

"Anything else?" Reiju asked once she controlled her chuckling that Alvida had mimicked. Usopp ordered the Steamed Vegetables Pilaf while Zoro ordered the Orange Chicken over White Rice that Kuina was most likely going to steal from. The two bounty hunters ordered the Three-Kinds of Onigiri while Alvida opted for the Wine-Siders, a collection of fire roasted bread, fine cheeses and grapes. "I'll be back with your drinks and appetizers in a little while."

The party of eight soon broke into their own private conversations with Alvida, Luffy and Nami laughing about their own little misadventures as children while Zoro argued with Kuina about stealing food. The sniper and inventor of the crew was doodling away in his notebook, working on new schematics for ammunition and weapons for the crew. Johnny and Yosaku were talking about which bounty they would be looking into next before roping Zoro and Kuina in on their conversation. They all cheered, or smiled, when Reiju came back with their drinks, the serving platter perfectly balanced on the edges of her dainty fingers.

"It'll just be five more minutes before your appetizers come," she told them with a smile as she finished passing out their drinks. "In the meantime, are we decided on our main courses?" Luffy's order surprised her as he ordered five whole beef tenderloins cooked rare -"Don't listen to him, make them medium-rare," Nami had interrupted once more- and five full platters of white rice. Nami had opted for the Braised Pork with a Mikan Demi-glaze while Alvida chose the Flounder Filet which was cooked in red wine and garlic sauce. The green haired swordsman had asked for a Porterhouse steak, twenty-five ounces, to be cooked rare -"Kuina do something about him."-, correction medium as it was going to be shared with the young woman sitting to his left, and boiled potatoes and spinach. The two bounty hunters then ordered the same, though only twelve ounce steaks instead of the monstrous twenty-five ounces that would be Zoro's. Usopp rounded off the list with his order of Smoked Trout and Asparagus Tips.

"Thank you," Reiju said as she took all of their menus. "I'll send this to the kitchen and be back with your appetizers in a bit."

Four or so minutes later and Reiju came back with their appetizers laying on two serving platters that she once more expertly balanced on the tips of her fingers. Everyone cheered when they got their food. "Enjoy," she smiled as the party of eight dug in happily to their food. Antics were abound as Luffy stole from Alvida and Nami's plates and them slapping his hands, stabbing his hands with their utensils or fighting his fork with their own. Kuina and Zoro shared from the same plate and you could tell that they were very close, if not lovers. The comedy duo just munched on their treats in glee as they sipped their drinks, having never tasted something so good before. Usopp just chewed on his food, his attention evenly split on the food and his invention booklet.

About twenty or so minutes had passed and everyone's plates had been cleaned of food and all of them eagerly awaited the arrival of their food, with Luffy being the loudest banging away at the table with his knife and fork. They were not disappointed when Reiju and another man reappeared with their food on several serving plates. Their captain's mouth began to salivate as the smell permeated the air around them and his crewmates were not far behind in their salivation. Reiju and the other man, who was dressed formally as well, were more than likely siblings as he had the same swirling eyebrows as Reiju. The blonde man instantly had hearts in his eyes when he beheld Alvida, Nami and Kuina but immediately stopped when a foot, belonging to Reiju, stomped down on his own.

"No ogling the customers Sanji," Reiju admonished as she passed out the party of eight's dishes. "And I believe their partners would not appreciate if you ogle their dates."

"Yes Reiju," the blonde replied as he folded out a rest for Luffy's food and set it to the young man's side.

"Besides, how would you feel if some strange man was undressing me with his eyes," the pinkette teased as she held a finger beneath Sanji's chin. She smirked when she saw his nostrils flare in annoyance. "That's what I thought. C'mon, we need to get back to work."

"If you have any more requests please do not hesitate to ask for either of us," Sanji bowed with his arm tucked against his abdomen, Reiju mimicking the motion beside him. "I cooked you food seeing as I am the Sous Chef. Please enjoy," he said with a smile and a bow before leaving the crew of pirates and two bounty hunters.

Everyone cried tears of joy when they bite into their dishes, feeling as if they were all sent into flavor heaven. They all had pleased flushes on their faces, and even Zoro, the even stoic swordsman, smiled as they once more dug in for their second bites. If they were to equate the feeling they got from the food then they could all describe it as their soul being barred before a God of Food and swept through by a melody of flavors beyond imaging. So enraptured were they in their food that they paid no attention to the person being clobbered by Sanji. The six Straw Hat Pirates stopped their happy eating however when they felt a very dark aura enter the range of their _Kenbun-shoku no Haki_. A few moments later they turned their collective head to the entrance to wear they saw a wet, dripping man in a light-blue, bordering grey, ensemble stumble into the restaurant.

"F-Food," the tanned man choked out as if he had not used his own voice in a long time.

"Sanji!" Reiju shouted as she caught the man as he collapsed forward. The Sous Chef appeared in a blur of speed beside his sister once he cleared the second floor stairs. "We need to get this man fed! He looks like he hasn't been fed in days!"

"What's going on down there?!" a gruff voice called out from the top of the spiral staircase. The sound of a foot and something wooden were soon heard resounding throughout the restaurant. A figure soon appeared on the stairs revealing an old man with a rather large blonde braided mustache nearly a meter in length wearing a chef's whites, but with a toque blanche that was three meters tall! "Sanji, Reiju, why did you stop working?!" he barked, though there was no hint of maliciousness in his voice that the Straw Hat Pirates detected.

"This man, he's half-starved Zeff-ji-san!" Reiju cried out as the man in her arms moaned something unintelligible. While Sanji had half a mind to kick the man out of his sister's arm, and place himself there, the other half of his mind, which also sympathized with the starving man's plight, wanted to fill the soggy man's stomach so he was alive once more. Zeff merely looked at the man and saw the telltale signs of malnutrition before turning to look Sanji straight in the eye. A minute passed between them before the old man waved his hand.

"Do what you need to do," Zeff grunted as he pivoted on his remaining leg and hobbled back to the stairs. "But only one of you do it! I want the other to fill in for the person that's going to feed that wet cat!" Reiju looked up at her brother who nodded at her unspoken words.

"Alright everyone, please return to your meals, everything is under control," Reiju said aloud as she stood back up after having passed the soaked man to her brother.

"So what do you think Luffy?" Nami sighed as she bit into another piece of mouthwatering pork. She was referring to recruiting the Sous Chef, and probably the waitress, and having them on their crew.

"How's about we follow him and find out," the captain suggested as he expanded his jaw beyond the levels a normal human should and swallowed his last two tenderloins whole. Johnny, Yosaku and Usopp had stared for a moment in surprise at the ability before turning back to their food that was begging them to eat. Nami just sighed and slapped her lover upside the head before following him as he snuck out the entrance to spy on Sanji and the waterlogged man.

"Thank you! It's so delicious! I've never tasted anything like this before!" the tanned man cried as he spoke in between every spoonful of his Seafood Pilaf. "Thank you! Thank you!"

"It's odd innit?" the blonde muttered as he took a drag on his cigarette. "How losing food and water out on the seas can rob you of everything. Makes you wonder why pirates chase gold so much if they'll end up on a deserted island with no hope of rescue if their luck turns bad." He turned his head when he heard the clink of the glass and clatter of the plate. "That good huh?"

"Thank you!" the tanned man cried as he bowed his head while he sat Seiza-style. "You don't even know who I am at all and you still fed me! Thank you stranger!" he cried, this time with tears in his eyes as he looked up at Sanji. "How can I ever repay you…" he trailed off as he looked up expectantly at the blonde.

"Sanji," the Sous Chef supplied with a grin.

"Sanji," the tanned man smiled back. "My name is Gin. How can I repay you?"

"You don't need to," the blonde replied as he took another drag of his cigarette and flicked some of the ashes into the water behind them. "I know what it's like to starve for days on end, a month even." Gin's eyes widened in shock as well as the eyes of the two Straw Hat Pirates. Luffy decided to blow their cover and sat down across from Gin, surprising him and Sanji, while Nami decided to go with the flow and plop down into her captain's lap without a second thought. She did admirably as she did not blush, though she did get questioning glances from the blonde and raven haired tanned man when she took Luffy's arms and wrapped them around her waist.

"You're so badass able to do that!" Luffy told Sanji without a hint of pity, seeing it a badge of honor to go days without food. "How about you join my crew?"

"It's not something to be proud of though," Sanji muttered as he rubbed the back of his head in consternation. "That month cost Zeff-oyaji's leg and his dream. That's why I'm staying here to pay him back."

"Damnit you stupid Eggplant, how many times do I have to tell you: If you want to repay me properly, then you'll chase our dream for the both of us!" an irate voice shouted from above them. Four heads peered up to see Zeff's head and his outrageously long hat sticking out of the second deck's porthole.

"What is your shared dream anyway?" Luffy asked, while Gin blinked, his mind in a stupor.

"To find the All Blue of course! It's every chef's dream to find it!"

"That is so cool! Why don't you join my crew, since all of us have big dreams?" the excitable young man asked once more.

"That sounds almost as absurd as becoming the Pirate King or finding Sky Island," Gin interrupted, feeling that he needed to be the most grounded person in this situation.

"Hey!" Nami cried out as she took Luffy's hat and plopped it on her head. "This man I'm sitting on is going to be the next Pirate King!" she said as she thumbed over her shoulder, poking his nose in the process.

"Yeah!" her friend agreed. "Having dreams you're willing to risk your life for, even if they are impossible, is what being a pirate is about!"

"Not only is that a childish notion of what a pirate is, but the One Piece is at the end of the Grand Line!" Gin told the two with a serious look in his eyes, not believing the moxie this pair of pirates had. "Not even my crew, the Krieg Pirates, the strongest in the East Blue- what's so funny?" he asked with a raised eyebrow at the two laughing younger people.

"Krieg Pirates right?" Nami snickered into her hand. "How much is the crew's collective bounty first of all?"

"Twenty-seven million Beri?" the Krieg Pirate stated, confused about why the two kids were suddenly laughing even harder.

"A-And how many did you and your crew number?" Nami asked through peals of laughter.

"Five thousand pirates strong," Gin ground out. He was slowly losing patience with the two teenagers before him. He blinked when what looked to be a wanted poster was slapped down onto the deck by Nami. And indeed it was a wanted poster, of the two teenagers in front of him. For-

"SEVENTY-FIVE MILLION BERI?!" Gin shouted as Sanji did a double take at the couple right in front of him.

"When you sail the Grand Line with less then a collective thirty-million Beri bounty, you're nothing but fish in a barrel for the real pirates lurking there to shoot at," Luffy told a shell-shocked Gin with a smirk. "Numbers mean nothing when Admirals of the Marines are able to take on thousands, tens of thousands and even hundreds of thousands of pirates all- by- themselves. And then there are the Shichibukai who are pirates who eat other pirates for breakfast. Let's not forget about the Yonkō, who are said to be a world power rivaling the Marines themselves," he finished with a savage grin on his face.

"No way," the still shaking Gin muttered as he realized that the Krieg Pirates stood no chance even if all they did was dip their collective toes into the Grand Line. "Uh, can I use a boat Sanji?" he spoke up, looking in Sanji's direction.

"Zeff?" Sanji directed his attention to the Chef.

"A dinghy filled enough supplies to get him to the nearest island, which is two days away, is all I'll offer." That was it as the man pulled his head back in to get back to work.

"There you have it," Sanji told Gin as he patted the pirate's shoulder before walking off towards the entrance to supply the dinghy, but not before sending Nami and Luffy an odd look. Nami and Luffy paid Gin no heed once Sanji was gone and just leaned against the ship and basked in the sun together in each other's presence. Gin mulled a few things over that he was considering during the silence as the man looked between the wanted poster and the two Straw Hat Pirates. A few minutes later Sanji came back out with a sack and small crate before gesturing to the Krieg Pirate to follow him. The two Straw Hat Pirates jumped up and followed, Luffy stealing his Straw Hat back with a grin and Nami pouting all the while.

"I thank you for all you've done," Gin told Sanji once the dinghy was lowered into the water.

"I told you it's fine."

"Do you mind if I ever come back for more? I'll make sure I pay for it, this meal included."

"It's on the house," Sanji told him gruffly with a frown on his face.

"If you say so," the tanned man replied with a grin. He then turned his attention to Nami and Luffy before bowing, surprising both of them. "You two have given me much to think about. Maybe we'll meet again one day." With those words he departed, paddling out for a bit before allowing the small sail to catch the wind and carry him off towards his destination.

"So about you joining my crew…"

"Damnit, what did I tell you?" Sanji muttered as he bit into the butt of his cigarette. "I'm not leaving this ship."

"And I'm not leaving this ship until you agree to join us," Luffy replied with a broad grin. Nami just giggled to the side, realizing that sooner or later they were going to get another crewmate or maybe two at that.

* * *

Four days later a crewmember of one of the civilian galleons paled as he spied something off in the distance.

"IT'S THE DREADNOUGHT SABRE!" he shouted as he rang the bell in the crow's nest three times, signifying pirates. "IT'S THE KRIEG PIRATES!"

* * *

 **AN: In Japan, lovers means going out, as opposed to in most Western countries it means they had sex. Those who have read the previous chapters before this chapter was posted will note that there were some changes made, such as the design of ships changing or grammatical errors being fixed. And yes, I did throw in Reiju. And yes I'm going there with her and Sanji. I'll explain later in the story. Also if you're wondering why I stopped it here before the canon climax of the _Baratie Arc_ then it's because I'm trying to keep the chapters concise. Some of you may be off put by Luffy being OP early on, but you have to remember I am literally rewriting the entire universe of OP. A lot of things are going to be different. So you'll just have to wait for the changes... especially how the SA Arc, ID Arc and MF Arc will change.**


	7. Chapter 7 Drifting on By

**Disclaimer: Nein!**

 **WARNING ON THE FIRST CHAPTER! READ IT BEFORE PROCEEDING!**

* * *

Odyssey of the Will of 'D'

Chapter 7

Drifting On By

* * *

Once the alarm was sounded by one of the civilian cruise galleons, each of the ships' quartermasters had disembarked for the _Baratie_ at breakneck speeds to gather their passengers and flee the immediate area so as to avoid being a casualty. They were lucky to have spotted it so far out, as the distance, a full two nautical miles, allowed all of the galleons, seven in all, to escape without ramming into one another in their haste to flee. It seemed luck had shined down upon them once more as it appeared that the _Dreadnought Sabre_ did not prepare to fire the fifty odd cannons it had mounted on board. In fact, upon closer inspection by the fleeing civilian galleons, it looked as if the flagship of the Krieg Pirates was on its last legs, looking more like a ghost ship than a once mighty galleon.

"I heard that they headed to the Grand Line," one of the Officers of the Watch muttered. "A fifty ship strong fleet and it looks like only one made it back, and in terrible condition." The young seaman shivered in fright. "I wonder what they came across to get mauled so terribly…"

* * *

"Usopp, Kuina, Alvida," Luffy spoke up from the table his crew and the comedy duo were sitting at, grabbing the attention of his Gunner, Lookout and Helmswoman. "Weigh anchor on the _Going Merry_ and get her to a safe distance. Once you're done, return here, I think we can expect a fight." The three Straw Hat Pirates nodded before leaving their seats and quickly dashing out of the floating restaurant, the double doors swinging out before closing once more. Everyone shot their captain a sidelong glance wondering what he was going to do next, but seemingly facefaulted when the saw him returning to his food with gusto.

"Think something interesting is going to happen Captain?" Zoro asked from the other side of Nami, his face wide with an eager smirk once everyone had recovered. They should have realized with a captain as strong as theirs who had the training of a Vice-Admiral they had little to nothing to really worry about. And they also realized that they should not have been too worked up as well, seeing as he had put them all through hellish training so that they could stand beside him proudly for their dreams.

"Well, he's not known as 'Foul Play' Krieg," their navigator hummed as she took a sip of her mikan juice. It was tasty, but it could not compare to the taste of juice made from the mikans in her mother's grove. That reminded her, she needed to look into bringing a few of them along for the ride alongside the future King of Pirates. No way was she going to endure the entire trip through the Grand Line, or the rest of the Seas, without those sweet fruit.

"They're so cool and calm," Johnny muttered to himself, in awe at the pirates before him.

"It's like the thought of them fighting Don Krieg is business as usual," his buddy added, a little fearful being so close to what would be an epic showdown between pirates.

"Do you wanna get in on the action against Krieg Nami?" the raven haired young man asked the orangette. She spluttered a little bit at the thought of her fighting.

"M-me?" she asked meekly. "Are you sure I can't just rob them blind like usual?" Nami then tried to bring her face closer to Luffy's so their breath could mingle and give a more intimate feel to her request, but she was halted when she felt a hand grab her shoulder and force her to sit back down.

"Captain's right," Zoro told his crewmate as he smirked at the infuriated Quartermaster. "You need to get your feet wet fighting tough foes."

"B-But I'm not strong like you two," she said in a small voice, trying to sound convincing despite being far stronger, about seven times more, than she had been before she had met Luffy. That did not mean however she wanted to fight, she was after all a thief, which was more of an auxiliary fighter. Her training with a Bo staff was purely for self-defense.

"Nami, you're going to be the navigator of the future Pirate King's crew," Luffy told here as he patted her shoulder in an encouraging manner. "You're going to need to take the first step in earning the reputation that goes with it." He chuckled a little. "Even the cabin boys on Gol D. Roger's ship turned into powerful pirates, even if one of them was easily defeated by me."

"B-Buggy served on the Oro Jackson?" Nami stammered out as she pointed a finger at Luffy. "Who's the other one?" the Quartermaster then asked. Zoro said nothing as he already knew that Shanks and Buggy were former crewmates due to their encounter with the latter back at Orange Town. From the way the conversation was headed, he had an inkling that it was of the intimate nature and thus busied himself with downing his bottle of sake before signaling Reiju to bring at least four more.

"He's the guy who started my on my journey to be a pirate, because he's the kind of pirate I want to be." Luffy removed his Straw Hat and looked at it fondly. "He gave me this hat as proof of our promise that when I became the Pirate King, I would return it to him."

"This pirate sounds like a nice guy," his friend muttered as she took the Straw Hat from his hands and held it in her own hands. "It would have been nice for a guy like that to come to Cocoyashi when we needed it the most."

"Yeah," the captain agreed as he freed one of her hands and held it in his own. He felt her squeeze back and then thread their fingers together. "Shanks would have definitely helped you guys."

"Shanks?" the orangette blinked.

"Un! He's got this really cool voice and red hair and cool scar over the left side of his face!" the Straw Hat less pirate chuckled. "Why, this one time-"

"Sanji!" Gin cried out as he pushed open the double doors to the _Baratie_. He slowly drug himself and another man that dwarfed the tanned man in comparison. The cooks, having realized the trouble they were getting into, had already filled the first deck of the _Baratie_ armed to the teeth to combat the foe that awaited them. The foe however, Don Krieg, seemed on the verge of death, ready to meet the maker at any moment now.

"Oi, oi," one of the cooks, a rather buff looking man who seemed to have missed out on leg day, muttered as he stepped forward. The man, Patty they had learned a few days ago, wore a blue colored double-breasted jacket instead of the tradition blue and wore black pants like all the other cooks, save for Zeff, and was currently armed with a massive knife that could have easily been mistaken as a machete. "Is this really Krieg," he asked in a mocking tone. "Looks more like a dead man walking." He smirked and turned back to the other chefs. "One of you get on the Den-Den Mushi and call in the Marines."

"Out of the way, you second-rate chef," a familiar voice spoke up from behind the muscular man. Patty's face contorted in annoyance as he whirled around to reprimand Sanji but instead was perplexed when he saw the blonde chef carrying a large serving of his Seafood Pilaf.

"The hell are you doing you blonde runt?" Patty questioned the younger chef. Sanji simply ignored him, walking past his fellow chef and heading where Gin and Krieg were. "I'm talking to you runt!" The blonde's response was to simply place the plate down in front of the wanted pirate, who proceeded to gobble the food like the starved man he was, and then take a drag of the cigarette in his between his lips.

"Damnit Sanji!" a chef beside Patty shouted. Like all the other chefs he was dressed in the chef's whites but with a blue scarf tied around his neck with the knot in the front. The light reflected off the dark round glasses he wore as he admonished the younger chef. "That's 'Foul Play' Krieg! He's a pirate captain that's known for all sorts of unsavory tactics, one of them being attacking at the last moment when your guard is down! He's a pirate among pirates!" As if on cue Krieg belched loudly after having devoured the contents on his plate before attempting to clothesline Sanji, who had his back turned.

"I'm sorry, but would you kindly refrain from violence?" Reiju asked as she suddenly appeared at her brother's side, one hand on his shoulder in a protective gesture while the other one was clasped around Krieg's wrist. The jaws of both Gin and Krieg dropped when they saw that not only did the pink haired woman suddenly appear between Sanji and Krieg, but she had stopped the pirate's attack by catching his wrist and holding it with little to no effort. Her strength was such that even when Krieg tried to retract his arm, he found that he could not even lift the woman. The pirate stumbled a little once his arm was relinquished, his countenance turning acidic as he reared back his hand to backslap the pink haired woman.

"I'm gonna have to ask you to stop," Sanji muttered as he appeared in front Krieg this time, his right leg raised high above his head. He then quickly brought his limb down atop of Krieg's head, sending the pirate crashing down into the tiled floor, breaking a few in the process. The blonde took a drag of his cigarette, before exhaling a puff of the noxious smoke. "You can hit me all you want, but touch my sister and you're a dead man."

"Sanji- I- I had no idea he was going to- please forgive- GERK!" Gin began before his captain's fingers wrapped around his neck. Sanji and Reiju were alarmed when they saw that Krieg had somehow stumbled back up, despite the injure he took from Sanji's kick. Blood pooled down from the top of his head, giving the pirate a more menacing look as he glared at his subordinate.

"Quiet you," he hissed before tossing Gin behind himself without a second glance. The tanned man seemed to ragdoll for a bit before he was mercifully caught in midair by an outstretched hand and carefully placed in one of the chairs at Luffy's table.

"Gin, you okay?" the young pirate captain asked, not referring to the physical pain that he had experienced but rather the emotional pain he was going through.

"Sanji saved our lives… how could Krieg do that?" the Krieg pirate muttered with a thousand-yard stare, his face utterly blank. "He- He saved my life and helped my save my captain's… so why?"

"This is a nice ship you guys got," Krieg told the chefs of the _Baratie_ as he surveyed it. A moment of silence occurred in the first deck of the ship before the pirate captain continued. "I'll take it." His declaration was met with shouts of protest from all the chefs of the ship while Sanji and Reiju narrowed their eyes in annoyance. "And while you're at it, I'll need one-hundred orders of food for my men. A number of them are on the verge of death as of this moment. It's not like I care for them," Gin slumped even further in his seat and Nami could see that her captain was on the verge of throttling this man. "But I need them for when I make my return to the Grand Line."

"What the hell are you doing?!" Carne shouted as he, Patty and the other chefs of the _Baratie_ surrounded the blonde that had been making his way back to the second deck, Reiju at his side. "He just attacked both you and your sister, and you're going to help him feed his starving crew even though you know he'll use them to attack us?!"

"Whether or not they'll attack us is of no concern of mine," Sanji plainly stated as he blankly stared back at Carne. "If a person comes starving to us, we as chefs are obligated to feed them. You guys all know how I feel about starving to death. Besides, if they feel like biting the hand that fed them, then their asking for a serving of ass kicking." Reiju giggled behind her hand, her amusement rising at her little brother's statement.

"Oi, oi!" Everyone's attention fell upon the young man in the red vest, blue shorts and Straw Hat making his way over to Krieg. "You said you're going to the Grand Line right?"

"What's it to you?" the Krieg 'The Admiral' asked with an annoyed expression.

"I'm heading there to become the King of Pirates!" Luffy told him with a grin. His grin never faltered as he took a direct punch to the stomach courtesy of a pissed off Krieg. Everyone blinked in surprise however as the punch had no visible effect on the Straw Hat totting young man. "That's not very nice." He then raised his hand and simply pushed Krieg with one hand. The other pirate captain's world exploded in pain as he felt his armor shatter around his body, bloody flying out his mouth due to the internal bleeding.

"WHAT!" Everyone shouted when they saw Krieg fall to his knees, blood, spit and bits of rice splattering onto the tiled floor. None of the chefs knew what had happened, but only knew that the customer with the massive stomach had taken a strong punch like it was a tap and had retaliated with only a push that made it look like Krieg was put through the ringer. His crew, the ones at the table and those who were just returning from the _Going Merry_ were beyond surprised, as they had never seen Luffy take a hit before during a real fight. It spoke volumes of their captain's monstrous strength, compounding on his training fit for a Vice-Admiral and his boundless will.

"Sheesh, no wonder they call you 'Foul Play'," Luffy laughed as he kneeled down in front of the other pirate captain. "Can't even have a nice conversation between fellow pirates without attacking." He tutted as he waggled his finger. "Didn't your mother ever teach you manners?"

"DAMN YOU!" Krieg screamed as he surged back up, the guns mounted on his wrists spewing fire and lead on command into the pirate standing before him. Everyone, save for the Straw Hat Pirates, screamed in shock and rage as the young man seemed to take every single bullet in the gut. Their screams of rage turned into surprised shocks when they saw that every single bullet had instead simply fallen to the floor in front of the pirate, forming a generous pile of metal.

"Yeesh, you really have no manners at all," Luffy groused as brushed the nonexistent dust from his shoulders and chest. "I was just asking you a question." He grinned once more as he raised his palm and aimed it at Krieg. "Do you want your payback once more?"

"WHAT ARE YOU?!" the now defanged pirate screamed.

"Ah, I ate the Gomu-Gomu no Mi," the younger pirate answered before stretching his neck a meter high. Krieg and the workers of the _Baratie_ shouted in surprise at the freakish action he performed, Gin unable to say anything as he appeared to be catatonic still while the Straw Hat Pirates were used to these antics by now. By now Kuina, Usopp and Alvida had made their way back to their table, Alvida taking Luffy's unoccupied seat as hers was now occupied by the tanned Krieg Pirate.

"So I'll ask you again," the Straw Hat captain asked when his head retracted back to its original place. "Why do you wanna go to the Grand Line?"

"To become the Pirate King! I had it all! The manpower, the ambition and the strength! The only thing I lacked was the information of what lay before me!"

"What? That's boring." Once more the people who were not used to Luffy's antics did a double take. "If you follow in someone else's footprints, where's the fun in that? There's no adventure at all in doing it that way!" All conversation stopped however when a massive burlap sack with its fibers bulging out indicating that it was brimming with something was dropped in front of Krieg.

"Here," a gruff voice grumbled. "One hundred orders of food for you damn scoundrels." The owner of the voice stepped back and stood by Luffy, revealing the visage of the Head Chef and proprietor of the _Baratie_.

"Head Chef Zeff!" Patty shouted. "They're going to attack us once they're fed!"

"You dumb idiots, do you really think I'd let someone starving to death go without food under my watch!" he declared, his arms crossed over his chest, his glare never leaving Krieg. "And it's like Sanji said, if they want to bite the hand that fed them, then they'll receive a helping of ass whooping."

"You… You're Red-Leg Zeff aren't you?" Krieg asked as he hoisted the burlap sack over his shoulder. "Captain of the Cook Pirates, said to have traveled nearly the entire length of the Grand Line from Wolf Shoulder to Quartz City in the New World! A man with a six-hundred million Beri bounty!"

"Woohoo! You're awesome ji-san!" Luffy praised as he slapped the former pirate captain on the back in merriment. "I knew you were awesome, but to have traveled so far!" The young pirate looked like he was going to explode with glee, bringing a smile to the lips of his crew, Sanji and Reiju and the former captain of the Cook Pirates.

"You must have a logbook, right?" Krieg asked as he stared down the elderly man.

"Whether I do or do not is no concern of yours brat." The captain of the Krieg Pirates ground his teeth in rage at being called a brat, but held his tongue since he was not sure he could handle both Zeff and the mysterious young man wearing the Straw Hat. "Even if I did have one, it would be a treasured item of mine, as it would have all the memories of my crew and our adventures together. There's no way in hell that I would hand it over." Zeff huffed as a smirk appeared on his face. "Besides, even if I did give it to you, there's no assurance that you'd survive your second run through the Grand Line."

"Yep! Just because you have info doesn't mean you're any stronger than you were before," Luffy agreed with a grin on his face, his arms folded behind his head. "Say, what actually happened on your first tour through the Grand Line anyway?"

"Like I need to tell you," Krieg grunted as he turned and made his way out of the _Baratie_ with his sack of food for his crew. He would need them back at full strength so that he could commandeer the floating restaurant.

"He's rude," the young man pouted, arms crossed over his shoulder now and his lower lip sticking out in a pout.

"We were attacked…"

"Ara?" No one had paid attention, but now that they did, they could see that Gin had made his way back to where Luffy and Zeff were.

"Our fifty galleon strong fleet was attacked by one man." The Straw Hat Pirates, Zeff, Sanji and Reiju perked up at that, wondering which of the Shichibukai the Krieg Pirates had encountered in Paradise, the half of the Grand Line between the East Blue and the South Blue. "The attack was over in a matter of an hour, with only the flagship left alive only because of a freak storm appearing out of nowhere and lasting for six days."

"Who smacked you guys around?" Sanji asked as he took another drag of his cigarette.

"I don't even know his name, but all I can remember is his eyes. Those eyes that stared back… the eyes of a predator diving at his prey…" Gin shivered once more at the mere memory of his only ever encounter with the man that had decimated nearly the entirety of his crew.

"Ah, was he wearing this really big hat with a plume of feathers on it?" Luffy asked, surprising the Krieg Pirate's Lieutenant.

"H-How'd you know?"

"That's Dracule Mihawk! One of the Shichibukai and holder of the title, 'Strongest Swordsman in the World'." Luffy then paused. "Why'd he pick on you guys anyway? He usually doesn't attack other pirates unless he's ordered to by the World Government."

"Kuina," Zoro muttered at his companion. The woman at his side nodded her head.

"He's the one we've been searching for," the swordswoman confirmed.

"Ah, so do you wanna take a crack at him?"

"You're being such a gentleman Zoro-kun," his childhood friend teased lightly.

"If you don't want to I'll challenge him myself."

"H-How do you know him?" Gin asked with a shaky finger pointing at Luffy.

"Oh, he usually stops by my home village to check up on his rival's family for him, seeing as his rival is now a Yonko." Everyone's jaws, including the Straw Hat Pirates' own, fell in shock at the revelation that a Yonko used to visit his home village and left a family there. If this bit of information made it back to Marineford then a massive fleet, more than likely a Buster Call, would be sent to Foosha village in order to either kill the Yonko's family, or wipe the village off the face of the world. That would more than likely be the cause of a backlash, as the Yonko may raze a good bit of the world in a revenge driven rampage. "Ah, I probably shouldn't have said anything about that. Could you all do me a favor and forget about this?" he asked, causing everyone to facefault and yell at him for being an idiot and talking about it in the first place.

The occupants of the _Baratie_ all shouted in fright when they felt their ship rock violently.

"What the hell!" one of the chefs shouted as he shot past everyone for double doors, hoping to find out what caused his home to rock so violently. That was followed by a surprised shout, "The _Dreadnought Sabre_! It's been attacked!" He was shortly followed by everyone else, save for a chef that was ordered by Zeff to raise anchor to avoid having the _Baratie_ capsize due to the rocking, who gathered on the raised fins. A great number of them save for Luffy, Sanji, Reiju and Zeff looked on in terror as they saw the massive galleon heave up with two clean cuts from port to starboard that evenly sectioning it.

All around the debris the crewmembers of the _Baratie_ , the entirety of the Straw Hat Pirates, one Krieg Pirate and two bounty hunters could see a few bodies floating belly down, some pirates clinging to drift wood and Krieg standing at what remained of the stern of his ship. Very few could make out his facial expression, but they could bet that he was shocked beyond belief. Some even thought that he looked like he had voided his bowels in fright.

"What?" Zoro murmured from the side of his captain as he stared at the destroyed ship in shock.

"No ordinary human could do this," Alvida added with wide eyes.

"Haven't seen power like this in a long time, eh sis?" the blonde asked his sister with a drag of his cigarette. The pinkette only hummed in agreement yet said nothing of reference, not wanting to dredge up old memories of a time that was better left forgotten.

"He- He followed us," Gin choked out as he fell to his knees. "He's going to kill us."

Slowly approaching, catching the attention of everyone on the fins, was a peculiar boat with a cross attached to it and some candles with the oddest colored flames, green flames at that. As the boat floated closer it revealed the figure of a man dressed mainly in black with a rather large cavalier hat and an object that looked like a cross strapped to his back.

"Ah, Mihawk-ji-san!" Luffy waved excitedly as he saw one of his friends approaching. The Krieg Pirates gapped at him in shock while his crewmembers gave him odd looks. Their captain ignored all the stares, launching himself so that he could land perfectly on Mihawk's small boat. "It's been so long, how've you been?"

"Monkey D. Luffy," Mihawk greeted with his perpetual deadpan. "I have been fine. I see that you're heading on your journey."

"Yep! Oh, but I would have liked it if you and Shanks could have seen me off," the grandson of Garp grumbled as he crossed his arms.

"He's a Yonko Monkey D. Luffy," the Shichibukai reminded him. "Even if he went by himself to check up on his family or see you off, had the World Government got a whiff of it they'd bear down on your home." Luffy's pout grew even bigger, and though Mihawk did not show it, he was sighing in exasperation on the inside. "I would have come seen you off it I had not been ordered by the World Government to suppress some rowdy pirates in the West Blue."

"Do you have any gifts for me?" Always the same with Monkey D. Luffy, jumping from one subject to another, his mood flip-flopping even worse than the weather on the Grand Line. "You usually have one for me or Rose whenever it's one of our birthdays." The onlookers could only look on in utter shock, as the Shichibukai and young pirate captain were exchanging pleasantries. No one felt like interrupting because they knew Mihawk could basically deliver all of them their ass on a platter if he felt like it.

"Indeed." Mihawk then rummaged around in the inner pocket of his coat and pulled out a small object that looked like a compass suspended perfectly inside of a glass sphere which was strapped to a small leather band. "It's my old Log Pose from when I traveled Paradise. I no longer need it as I know which waters to take. So as a way to see you off, I give it to you now."

"Aww, but I don't know how to use it," Luffy grumbled as he accepted the Log Pose. He perked up when he remembered that he had the perfect person to give it to. "Is it fine if I give it to my navigator Nami?"

"Do with it what you will," Mihawk told him with a very microscopic shrug. "But if you destroy it or lose it, not even Shanks can save you from the ass kicking I'll give you." Luffy just nodded, a massive sweatdrop on the back of his head. "These two items are from Shanks." He then produced a yellow strip of cloth and a small square of paper.

"Oh, I've been looking for a way to keep my shorts up!" The cloth and paper were quickly swiped from the Shichibukai who did not react at all. He watched bemusedly as the younger pirate wrapped the sash around his waist with a smile on his face, most likely happy that he had two gifts from his idol Shanks. "So why'd you attack these guys?" Luffy asked when he sat back down while pocketing the square of paper, careful of the candles, and pointed his thumb over his shoulder at the destroyed galleon.

"I decided to disabuse them of the notion that the Grand Line could be so easily conquered." All of the Krieg Pirates, including their captain, shouted in shock. "However, I didn't think that they'd be so weak that a few slashes would ruin their day. Not even one of them looked like they could last a minute with me." He sighed as he gazed over at the ship, his eyes roaming over the surviving crew who seemed to shrink away at his sight. Krieg growled when Mihawk's gaze passed over him and stomped over to his cabin in hopes of rearming himself, seeing as his armor had been destroyed beforehand by the Straw Hat totting young man.

"Well the East Blue is technically the weakest of the Four Seas," the young pirate captain conceded with a shrug.

"The East Blue gave birth to Monkey D. Garp, Monkey D. Dragon, Gol D. Roger, Silvers Rayleigh and Yasopp to name a few. You were born here as well, so why do you think it's so weak despite having so many names like that coming from here?" The young pirate merely shrugged and it once more took a little bit of control for Mihawk to stop himself from sighing. "Who're the kids making their way over here?"

"Hmmm? Oh that's Zoro and Kuina, they're swordsmen like you!" No one noticed the micro-eye roll Mihawk gave at the mention of swordsman. Most often than not, anyone calling themselves a swordsman was nothing more than a child waving a toy sword around, at least to him anyway. The only person who could call himself a swordsman was Shanks since he was the only man ever able to fight him on par. "They're dream is to become the world's greatest swordsmaster, but for different reasons I think." He looked up when he saw Mihawk stand up. "Don't hurt them too much, they're my crewmates."

"No promises." With that final statement the Shichibukai leapt from his Coffin Boat and landed with little difficulty on the mostly intact piece of driftwood that was formerly the deck of the _Dreadnought Sabre_.

"You challenge me, even though you can feel the difference between us?" Mihawk stated as he stared down the two younger sword wielders before him. "Why do you even fight, knowing that you'll lose?"

"We made a promise to each other," Zoro began as he took the green headband wrapped around his left bicep and placed it over the crown of his head.

"We'd keep pushing one another further and further until one of us became the world's greatest swordsmaster," Kuina continued as she drew _Wadō Ichimonji_ from its sheathe and held it two handed. Beside her, Zoro had placed _Seiya Heiwa_ in-between his teeth and had unsheathed his two nameless katana.

"Are you two in a relationship?" Mihawk asked out of nowhere, his perpetually bored look not matching his unexpected question. "I only ask because that kind of promise when shared between two people of the opposite sex is more of a declaration of love."

"W-We're not like that damnit!" Zoro ranted, somehow speaking through the handle of his katana. The blush on his face did not help his situation, nor did the small blush on Kuina's.

"Ah, so then you're trying to prove yourself worthy of courting her?" the Shichibukai guessed. Though he looked bored, he was having some fun with this, as it had been so long since he had met a sword-wielding couple. "And from the looks of it… Yes, you must be the daughter of Momotoya Koshiro-dono. I recognize that stance from the _Kaiyūhanaryū_ that he once fought me with."

"Y-You know my father?" the woman asked, he stance breaking for a moment.

"A sword wielder should always be composed while their weapon is drawn, daughter of Koshiro," Mihawk admonished as he stared Kuina in the eyes, having caught onto her distress the moment he realized she was the child of that man. "It seems even now his misogynic tendencies towards swordswomen still persists if saying his very name breaks your stance. Do you really believe you're ready to face me, even though your friend is still foolish to do so?"

"Oi, Kuina, don't listen to a word he says." Kuina eyed her childhood friend at her left. "You're not the rival I've been striving to surpass if simple words are enough to best you. Remember why you picked up that sword of yours and why you fight. Focus solely on those as you fight." A small blush came to his face as he considered the words he was about to say before just saying them and damning the consequences. "If that's not enough, then remember that strong person you are is the reason why I love you."

"Zoro," the blunette murmured as she stared at him out of the corner of her eye. The green haired young man only stared forward, his gaze never leaving Mihawk. Kuina merely smiled in thanks as she resumed her stance. Zoro himself smiled as well as he felt the confidence return to the swordswoman beside him. The two of them then coated their katana with _Busō-shoku no Haki_ and readied themselves, waiting for their opponent so that the battle may begin.

"Despite your confidence, a blade swung without strength is only a branch wielded by an infant. Though you know how to use your _Busō-shoku no Haki_ , it is still weak in comparison to pirates of Paradise and the New World can produce. But your strength so far is impressive, in and of itself. However, let me test your conviction first." He then pulled out a crucifix that was strapped his leg and removed the bottom portion, revealing a blade. It could have passed for a very small gladius, no more than thirty centimeters in length. "Come at me with all you have."

Zoro exploded forward, Kuina only a few centimeters behind him with her sword held parallel with the deck. The green haired swordsman had started the fun with his signature move, _Oni Giri_ , which was deftly blocked by the now black colored gladius. Zoro was not surprised at all by the failed attack, but disengaged by back flipping instead as Kuina quickly rushed Mihawk with an upward slash that would have caught anyone else off guard.

" _Hyakusora Sakuhana_!" she shouted as slash upward, the technique literally rending the air around it and creating one-hundred air blades that slashed skyward. Mihawk still had that deadpan look on his face as he either deflected, cut to pieces or dodged all the air blades coming at him. His gladius then clashed with Kuina's katana. The young woman's eyes widened as she felt Zoro launch himself from behind, his thought broadcasting to her what their next move should be. Kuina then quickly disengaged and leapt back as Zoro came flying down from the sky, his three katana angled so that the formed a triangle.

" _Hioni Giri!_ " Zoro shouted as he crashed down with swords. He grunted in consternation when his attack was once more easily blocked. But he smirked a little when he felt Kuina complete here part of the plan.

" _Senbon Sakuhana!_ " Kuina shouted once more as she charged at Mihawk. Due to the opening made by Zoro, she had capitalized on the chance by readying one of her strongest techniques. The technique was like all the other techniques of the _Kaiyūhanaryū_ it relied upon creating air blades that would follow the course of the attack. So when she went to stab forward, one thousand air blades raced forward to impale the holder of the title 'World's Greatest Swordsman'. Mihawk pushed Zoro back to his left, not wanting to dishonor the two of them by redirecting the swordsman into his companions attack, and once more deflected, slashed through or dodged around the air blades coming toward him. His gladius clashed once more with _Wadō Ichimonji_ , his hawk-like eyes boring into Kuina's. She seemed to freeze in place once their eyes locked, giving Mihawk enough time to rear back his sword and stab forward. At the last second, he released the _Busō-shoku no Haki_ coating his weapon right before it duck into flesh.

"Zoro!" Kuina screamed in despair when her fellow swordsman took the stab meant for her to his chest. Krieg and his pirate crew were looking on in fright as the beheld the swordfight between three swords wielders turn deadly. Luffy had his hands clenched, doing his best to fight down the urge to rush in and save his nakama, knowing that if he did so they would never forgive him. Nami and Alvida had their mouths covered with their hands as tears streamed down their eyes, their minds racing with worry about whether or not Zoro survived that attack or not. Usopp meanwhile was doing his level best to ensure that Johnny and Yosaku did not interfere in this fight, understanding that their honor, and very being, was on the line right now. Reiju was holding onto Sanji, her grip tight as they both watched the event unfold.

"He moved without thinking," the blonde muttered, silently praising Zoro for his instinct to protect his loved one.

"She's part of his dreams, of course he would do his utmost to protect her," Zeff said from beside the pair of siblings. "In pursuit of your dreams, you throw down everything beside your own pride and honor to achieve them." The former pirate captain chuckled. "No matter how laughable his dreams are, that man will pursue them until his death. That is what it means to be a real pirate."

"To be a real pirate, eh?" Sanji muttered as he mulled over his own thoughts about his dream. Reiju smiled a small smile, hoping that her little brother would have the push needed to pursue his and their adopted father's dream.

"Taking an attack for someone else, though honorable, also damages the honor of the person who is protected. Why did you do so?" Mihawk asked, his eyes searching for something in the eyes of the swordsman before him.

"I don't know," Zoro coughed a little, blood seeping out of his mouth. His fellow Straw Hat Pirates sighed in relief, realizing that Zoro was still alive despite having a blade sticking out of his chest at the moment. "My body moved by itself. Don't know why, I'm only grateful that I did because the only who's going to beat her is me."

"Were she to die then what would you do?"

"Fight on for our dreams. But that isn't going to happen because I'm going to fight tooth and nail to protect her."

"You dishonor her by doing so."

"And it is a dishonor upon my pride as a man if I were unable to protect her."

"Then death is what awaits the both of you if you are not strong enough."

"Death is preferable to dishonor," Kuina spoke from behind Zoro, doing her level best to not attack Mihawk at the moment. Her companion nodded his head in agreement with her statement. A rare expression passed over Mihawk's face, that of surprise, though that was only both eyebrows raised slightly and a very slight widening of his eyes.

'To think that the East Blue would produce such strong individuals once more! You have done well to gather a crew such as this so far Monkey D. Luffy!' Mihawk then withdrew his blade and flicked his wrist, cleaning the gladius of blood. Zoro stumbled back a little, but was thankfully caught by Kuina who proceeded to support him by shouldering his right side so as to avoid aggravating the injury, the Shichibukai all the while looking on passively as he sheathed his weapon.

"Would you like to try once more, against my true weapon?" he asked, his hand resting on the pommel of _Yoru_.

"Of course," Zoro complied as he removed himself from Kuina and readied himself. "Don't worry about me right now Kuina."

"That's my line Zoro-kun," she shot back as she too readied herself, understanding that she had to once more focus on the fight at hand rather than anything else. "Ready?"

"Ah." With that the two of them surged forward, their greatest techniques on the tips of their tongues.

" _Santōryū Ōgi: Sanzen Sekai_!" Zoro roared as his two unnamed katana spinning rapidly, the air pressure from the swords giving him momentum and speed, sending him flying forward with great speed, the momentum of his spinning swords transforming into potential energy as the awaited to be released.

" _Kaiyūhanaryū Ōgi: Ichiman Sakukiku!_ " Kuina roared from his side as she too sailed forward, ten-thousand air blades appearing around her, blooming like a many petal chrysanthemum whose petals were as sharp as deadly swords.

'Fly!' Mihawk then darted forward as he met their attack full on, his mighty sword swinging with all of his might. Zoro and Kuina grunted in exertion as they felt their strongest attack batted to the side as if they were children, his swords shattering to pieces from the exertion while her wind blades were dispersed with laughable contempt while a few shallow cuts appeared on her arms and torso as payback for the futile attack. The two of them fell to their knees from the attack, what little _Busō-shoku no Haki_ they had left disappearing from their katana, unable to comprehend the massive gap between them and the summit.

'Indeed you have chosen well Monkey D. Luffy,' Mihawk praised as he looked down at the pendant hanging at his neck to see that the chain had been severed ever so slightly. 'Despite their gap in strength, their ambition was able to reach me and touch me for but a moment.' A very microscopic lift of the corner of the lips were the only evidence of a smile adorning his face, but only for a millisecond.

"Tell me, what are your names," Mihawk asked turned around to address the two younger sword wielders.

"Roronoa Zoro," the green haired man coughed out as he struggled to stand up. He was once more caught by Kuina who gave him a loving smile as she helped so that they both might stand proudly before the world's greatest swordsmaster, even if that pride had taken a blow. Her lips brushed against his cheek for but a second, sending a shiver down his spine and igniting a blush on both of their faces.

"Momotoya Kuina," the blunette answered proudly, no longer afraid to say the name that connected her to her father, her confidence in her kenjutsu once more restored by the man beside her due to his faith in her and the man in front of her due to him dueling her.

"Become strong together," he began as he sheathed his sword back into its place on his back. "Continue to push one another to become stronger than ever before. This world is vast, filled with many different people and sights beyond your wildest imagination. Continue to grow not only as swordsman and swordswoman, but as beloved ones. Never forget this taste of defeat, and always use it as a reminder to grow stronger, for if you do not, all you care for shall be wrenched from your weak hands. Do not ever falter in your quest to beat me! I shall be waiting here, at the top of the world of swordsmanship for your next challenge! Do not disappoint me next we meet, for I shall give you my all as should you give me yours!" Kuina and Zoro merely nodded their heads, unbelieving that this man whole heartedly endorsed their dream to beat him. The blunette had tears streaming down from her eyes, feeling a sense of pride that someone actually believed that she could become a strong swordswoman, the only others being Zoro and the other Straw Hat Pirates.

"ZORO!" she screamed as he fell to his knees at her side, sending her crashing down as well due to his weight. "ZORO!" Kuina screamed once more as he coughed up a glob of blood.

"LUFFY!" the green haired swordsman shouted, his voice straining from the effort. His captain perked up, his attention now solely focused on his Executive Office. Zoro then raised the still unsheathed _Seiyū Heiwa_ and pointed it heavenward. "I'M SORRY FOR LOSING SO BADLY AND WORRYING YOU! IF I CAN'T BECOME THE WORLD'S BEST, THEN I'D DRAG YOUR NAME DOWN WOULDN'T I? SO UNTIL KUINA AND I BEAT HIM, THEN I PROMISE ON MY HONOR THAT I WON'T EVER LOSE AGAIN!" Kuina laughed from his side as she wiped a tear from her eye before taking _Wadō Ichimonji_ in her left hand an mimicking her friend.

"I PROMISE AS WELL CAPTAIN, TO NEVER LOSE EVER AGAIN UNTIL BOTH I AND ZORO DEFEAT MIHAWK AND BECOME THE WORLD'S GREATEST!" Zoro huffed beside her as tears poured down his eyes, happy to know that his friend would always be there by his side no matter what.

"IS THAT FINE? FUTURE KING OF PIRATES!" the two of the shouted as one as tears streamed down their faces.

"DAMN RIGHT IT IS!" he answered them with a wide grin as he appeared right in front of them.

"Still on that dream about becoming Pirate King, Monkey D. Luffy?" Mihawk asked as he approached the trio.

"Of course!" Luffy answered with his ever present wide grin.

"A dream even loftier than beating me," the Shichibukai mused as he stopped right in front of the young man. "However, I have already placed my bet on you doing so, just as my rival had many years ago. We may be enemies in the future, what with my being a Shichibukai, but never forget the hopes placed upon your shoulders, Monkey D. Luffy."

"Never!" he grinned before grabbing onto Zoro and Kuina and disappearing with them and reappearing with them once more beside Alvida, who proceeded to direct Usopp and Nami to grab the medical kits in the _East Goers_ so that they could perform some first-aid on the two.

"I think I'll head on off to Foosha, see how little Rose is doing," the Shichibukai mused as he made his way back to his ship.

"Hey Mihawk!" Said owner of the name paused a step before resuming his cadence as if nothing had happened. "Weren't you here to finish me off, Don Krieg, the greatest pirate of the East Blue?" His crew murmured amongst themselves at the suicidal actions of their captain. One man with ridiculous looking armor had surfaced before the battle between the trio of sword wielders and wondered if it was such a good idea to follow a captain who stood as much a chance against Dracule Mihawk as a snowball did in Arabasta.

"Not in the mood anymore," the swordsman answered as he slightly lifted his shoulders, his contemptuous shrug pissing Krieg off even further. "I'm leaving now to visit my niece."

"HOWS ABOUT I SEND HER TO YOU AFTER YOU'RE DEAD!" Krieg roared as he unleashed his shoulder and waist mounted cannons and fired while pulling the triggers on his magnums. Mihawk merely unsheathed his sword and stabbed it into the wood beneath his feet, kicking up a massive amount of seawater and causing numerous waves that tossed practically everyone around. Once the proverbial dust cleared, Mihawk was nowhere to be seen, and his ship as well could not be seen. It appeared that the man had performed a magic trick to leave the surrounding area.

"Men, prepare yourselves!" the pirate captain roared. "We're going to be taking that ship and using it to rebuild our fleet so that we can conquer the Grand Line!"

"Sorry, but you'll have to find another ship to steal, this one is our home and treasure," Reiju stated as she appeared before Krieg and dropped him with quick kick to the chin, sending him airborne for a few moments, before finishing off with roundhouse kick that sent him flying into the mostly intact mast which broke on contact and crashed down onto the fin, creating a convenient gangplank.

"MASKS!" Krieg shouted, his subordinates realizing what was going to happen quickly followed the order, not wanting to die to the deadly gas.

"Dive into the water or head back inside of the ship everyone, he's about to use a poisonous bomb!" Luffy shouted as he raced forward to try and stop the attack that he heard was about to occur due to his _Kenbun-shoku no Haki_ , shocking the Krieg Pirates and the chefs despite Krieg not broadcasting his attack out loud. As he ran forward he ripped a few masks off the Krieg Pirates and tossed them to Nami and Usopp who had told him through their thoughts that they were going to stay and fight. A number of the chefs did their level best to escort the remaining Straw Hat Pirates and two bounty hunters back inside, not willing to let the swordsman and swordswoman die a dishonorable death. They had to be careful though, as Zoro's wound was only three millimeters from his heart, and any jerky movement could aggravate his condition.

"C'mon Gin!" Sanji shouted as he hauled the Krieg Pirate back inside, the man muttering about how his captain was willing to kill the people who had saved them. 'You're looking up to the wrong man Gin.'

"What about Reiju!" one of the chefs worried as he looked through one of the first deck windows. "She's still out there!"

"My sister knows how to deal with poison," the blonde explained as he lit another cigarette. He took a drag of it, the wrapping burning away along with the tobacco due to the action. An explosion soon occurred, indicating that Luffy was unsuccessful in stopping Krieg's use of his poison bomb. They all waited at least five minutes before the pink gas dissipated.

When everyone, save for Alvida, Kuina and Zoro, reemerged from the _Baratie_ or the drink they were able to find Nami and Usopp standing where they were, glaring down Krieg, Reiju now at their side. However, no matter where they looked the only person missing from the picture was Luffy.

"Where'd he go?" Sanji asked as he scanned their surroundings. There was no way that he could have been in the water because he was an Akuma no Mi ability user and everyone knew that they were literally hammers that sunk in water that went up to their chest. There was even a comical tale of an Akuma no Mi ability user drowning in his bathtub!

"He's in the water right now," Nami answered, pointing at the water between the _Baratie_ and the wreckage of the _Dreadnought Sabre_.

"Rahahaha!" Don Krieg laughed, smirking triumphantly. "I bet that bastard is sinking in the water as we speak! There's no way even an Akuma no Mi ability user could stand up to me, Don Krieg, THE STRONGEST MAN IN THE EAST BLUE, NAY, THE WORLD!"

"That title belongs to Edward Newgate you dumbass brat!" Zeff barked from where he stood.

"Don Krieg! That man- he!

"What?!" the pirate captain growled.

"He- He!" The Krieg Pirate was cut off however as an object shot out of the water with such force that it caused a sizable column of water to spring forth. A familiar laughing soon filled the air, causing the present Straw Hat Pirates to grin while the jaws of everyone else dropped in shock at the revelation, including Zeff's who had seen many an unimaginable sight.

"SHISHISHI! IT'S ME~!" Luffy laughed as he landed back on the wooden fin of the _Baratie_.

"HOW IN THE HELL ARE YOU ABLE TO SWIM!" Krieg and practically everyone else yelled in shock.

"I'm just awesome like that," he laughed as he crossed his arms. His answer pissed Krieg off even more, despite the fact that his 'fight or flight' instincts were screaming at him to run away like a scared child in front of a monster. A number of the Krieg Pirates were reevaluating the situation, further questioning whether or not it was a good idea to actually attempt to commandeer this ship.

"THEY SAVED US CAPTAIN, HOW COULD YOU REPAY THEM WITH POISON!" Gin shouted as he jumped over the railing of the made his way to stand near the edge of the fin across from his captain. "SANJI GAVE ME FOOD AND SAVED MY LIFE! HE GAVE YOU FOOD TOO AND SAVED YOUR LIFE! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO THEM! THIS IS THEY'RE HOME!"

"Gin, I'm warning you, keep your damned gob shut," Krieg ground out, his rage at the treasonous words adding to his already growing rage which was overriding his already lacking humanity.

"ZEFF-SAN MADE FOOD FOR ALL OF OUR MEN AND YOU WOULD PAY HIM BACK BY TAKING HIS LOG BOOK THAT CONTAINS THE MEMORIES OF HIS CREWMATES AND HIS HOME! YOU'RE EVEN PLANNING ON DRAGGING US BACK TO THE GRAND LINE TO OUR DEATHS!"

"Gin," Krieg growled as he prepared his Ball and Chain.

"Let's just stop captain, and think about where we're going before we do anything… How about we just not take their ship?"

"SHUT UP!" his captain roared as he swung the spiked ball above his head rapidly before throwing it at Gin. "FOR YOUR TREASONOUS WORDS I SENTENCE YOU TO DEATH!"

Gin froze when he heard those words, his mind unable to comprehend the fact that he was betraying the man he had looked up to. But it was difficult for him decide who to stand by, the captain he had given his all for and the crew that followed him faithfully, or the man and his family who gave him kindness despite being a notorious pirate? He could reach no definitive conclusion in time to decide what to do, raise his tonfa and defend himself or accept his punishment. So he just stood there and watched the oncoming attack.

"Long Piercing Shot!" a voice rang out. Everyone turned to see the long-nosed young man with his massive slingshot at rest, the strings fluttering down having released their payload. Said payload was in the former of powerful pellet smashing into the spiked ball and stopping it in midair. His attack was quickly followed up by the orangette jabbing her blacked Bo staff into the pellet's entry point and shoving hard before kicking off and landing beside Gin. Luffy's hand then shot forward and smashed the weapon at the crack, sending it back to Krieg who screamed in rage as his returned weapon exploded in front of him a second later.

"Return to sender!" Luffy laughed as he walked over to Nami's side. His navigator merely rolled her eyes at his joke before her hand flew forward and tweaked his nose as punishment for the failed attempt at humor. "So you think you can handle him Nami?"

"Hmmm…" she hummed as she placed her chin in her palm, considering whether or not she felt confident enough to actually take on a pirate captain. However, from the looks of the situation it seemed that she would be perfectly fine taking him on. "You'll step in if it looks too bad, right Luffy?"

"Always," he promised, his ever boyish grin on his face. Nami smiled in return and rewarded him with a peck to the cheek.

"Be right back!" she cooed as she leapt over onto the mast and ran toward where Krieg was slowly getting back up. "Hey Krieg!"

"Hn?" he grunted as he shook his head to clear the cobwebs that had gathered in his head. The man's eyes quickly scanned the surroundings for the source of the voice before landing on the young woman making her toward him with a Bo staff in hand. "You wanna die bitch!" he roared as took one of his shoulder pads off and fired at the makeshift gangplank intent on destroying it and dragging her into the sea.

"Going up!" Nami declared as she leapt into and then proceeded to vanish right as the mast crashed into the water and kicked up a massive amount of water, giving her the perfect opportunity to surprise him. Krieg had momentarily lost sight of her, and his eyes once more scanned the area around him. His attempt at finding Nami was cut short as she quickly appeared in front of him, her Bo staff now in two equal segments and lashing out at him. Krieg had no time to react and he felt his both of his knees explode in pain, swiftly followed by his wrist swelling due to the bruises they received from hits and then his neck nearly breaking as he felt Nami's Bo staff smack into both sides of his neck.

"You know," she began as she hopped back thrice so that there was some distance between the two of them. "You may have armor, but it won't do you any good it you don't have anything covering your joints. I could have crotch shot you, but Luffy does like seeing those sorts of things." Every single male winced at that comment and quickly crossed their legs, save for Zeff who could only shield himself down below with his hands.

"NOT THE KINTAMA!" her captain cried as he shielded his precious family jewels.

"YOU! DAMN! BITCH!" Nami scowled at his cursing and watched impassively as he removed his two shoulder pads and slapped them together before pulling out a long shaft that had popped up from the shields. Once it was at full length, a spear tip popped out from the opposite end, completing the weapon for Krieg. "DIE!" he roared as he swung it downward. His attack was easily stopped however as Nami quickly reconnected her Bo staff and extended it again, revealing a chain and caught the shaft of the spear and quickly spun it around with all of her might. Everyone was surprised when the lithe young woman was able to disarm Krieg of spear and chuck it over her shoulder into the water behind her, where an explosion was soon followed.

"You were saying?" she asked with a smirk. Her answer was Krieg roaring in rage and charging at her with his diamond gauntlets drawn back ready to punch her using the strongest material in the world. "Oh, diamonds! I'll be taking those!" Nami laughed as she ducked under the punch and then jabbed upward with her Bo staff, the end smashing into Krieg's jaw. That one jab turned into five more brutal jabs that had the pirate captain reeling due to the sharp pain. He was not even aware enough to notice that his diamond gauntlets were stolen by his opponent.

"You know, pirates like you are the reason why I hated the lot of them. I even cursed my own captain to death when I first met him," she remarked as she drew back her Bo staff and swung hard, concussing Krieg on his temple and giving him a massive headache. The man soon toppled over while his crew looked on speechless. "Were in not for me meeting a pirate like Luffy and him changing my views on what a pirate is, you and I would have never need to cross paths." With one last glance at the defeated foe, Nami turned on her heel and shouted, "Did you see that Luffy?!"

"You were awesome Nami!" her friend laughed as he soon appeared in front of her in a blur of speed. "Ah! I have something for you!" Her captain then produced an object from his left pocket and wrapped it around Nami's left wrist. "It's a Log Pose! It's a navigational tool used by people who traverse the Grand Line!"

"It's nice Luffy, even though it isn't a ring…" she trailed off, the last part more of a mumble.

"But I haven't proposed to you yet to even give you a ring!" he whined.

"YOU NEED TO ASK ME OUT FIRST BEFORE EVEN CONSIDERING ASKING ME TO MARRY YOU!"

* * *

"If there is any way to pay you guys back for the trouble we've caused, please say so," Gin told the collective group of _Baratie_ chefs, Straw Hat Pirates, and bounty hunters with his head bowed, touching the floor, once more sitting Seiza style on the fin of the floating restaurant an hour after the battle. Kuina and Zoro had rejoined the rest of their crew, the former supporting the latter with content smiles on both of their faces.

"Don't worry about it, we deal with brats like you guys all the time and still let them back to eat so long as they learned their lesson," Zeff said with a wave of his hand. "You ever have an empty belly, our doors are always open to you."

"Like the shitty Old Man said, ever feel like you're hungry, their doors are open to you," Sanji added from his adoptive father's side.

"Please keep any roughhousing to a minimum the next time you and your crew visit," the pinkette tacked on as she bowed.

"If it's a favor you asking for, I got one," Luffy said with a grin on his face. "Do you guys have an extra ship lying around?"

"We do actually," Gin replied with a slow nod. "It's a barque that had left behind in a nearby island on the count of we didn't have enough men to spare to crew it."

"Perfect, because I need an invasion force." His statement shocked everyone, save for Nami who knew what he needed an invasion force for. This fun loving young man who had little to no care in the world did not seem like the type of pirate to plan a hostile attack.

"W-What do you intend to invade?" the tanned man asked, seriously reconsidering whether or not it was a good idea to trust this man who was slowly turning into another Krieg with his bloodthirstiness.

"Why, we're going to invade a this little plot of land right outside of Cocoyashi Village in the Conomi Islands named Arlong Park. We're going to wreck that place, kick the asses of all the fishmen there, including their captain, 'Arlong the Saw' a pirate fishman with a twenty-million Beri bounty, and free the entire island chain, and my navigator's home, from his tyranny." Once more his bold declaration shocked those around him, while Nami's reaction was tears streaming down her eyes in thanks. The orangette quickly catapulted herself into his arms and cried into his shoulder, her handing clutching fistfuls of his vest as she held onto him for dear life. Luffy merely smiled as he hugged her back, before turning his gaze back to Gin. "What do you say?"

"You can count on us!" Gin shouted, along with the rest of the former Krieg Pirates. They had severed their ties with Krieg the moment it had become apparent that following the reckless and prideful would lead them all to an early watery grave. They were not sure on where they would go next, but helping out a strong, yet kind pirate like Luffy was something they could all get behind. Who knows, maybe they could ask the young man if they could follow him as his subordinates. Maybe even into the Grand Line if he earned their trust.

With that they Gin, Pearl and a few of the remaining senior staff board a dinghy loaned to them by the _Baratie_ to reach Wet Nose Island in the Wide Mouth Archipelago. The voyage would take them four days at the rate they were headed, two more to return to the _Baratie_ and gather the crew back together and then four more days to regroup with Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates at Yo-yo Archipelago so that they could formulate their plan of attack. The remaining Krieg pirates would in the meantime get a crash course in serving by Zeff, you planned to use them for free labor as long as possible.

* * *

"So you and Reiju planning to leave eh?" the blonde former pirate asked as he stopped at the threshold of his adoptive children's quarters. The blonde chef merely nodded his head as he looked over everything that he had packed so far, while Reiju gathered up their toiletries in a separate bag. "Going to finally chase your dream?"

"Yeah, shitty Old Man," Sanji grunted, his adoptive father harrumphing. "I was afraid for the longest time in pursuing it, lying to myself that it was fine to live another day, that I always had another chance to pursue it some other time."

"And now?"

"And now, I've met this really great guy who not only likes my food, but praises all the hard work I put into making it. His crew is made up of nothing but people with crazy near impossible dreams, and they're all happy with pursuing them, even if it means death. And you know what? They think my dream is awesome and that they'll help me achieve it." Reiju appeared from the adjoining washroom and packaged the toiletries before kneeling beside her brother and hugging him to herself, pouring all the love she had into it. "We've met some really nice people on the sea haven't we sis?" he asked through teary eyes.

"Ah, that we did," she smiled as she kissed his cheek. Zeff huffed a chuckle before turning around and closing the door behind before hobbling away, giving his children some alone time.

'I'm going to make sure I settle this grudge of ours, father!' Reiju promised as she hugged her bawling brother closely. 'For all the pain you caused me and my little brother, death will only be too kind for you!'

* * *

It had now been two weeks since Sanji and Reiju had left with the Straw Hat Pirates on their crusade to liberate the Conomi Islands and eight days since the former Krieg Pirates had finished their short internship on the _Baratie_ as waiters before loading on the _Flaming Molotov_ , the ex-Krieg barque and sailing away to fulfill their end of the bargain with the Straw Hats.

The first day had been humorous as the former pirates were learning the ropes of hospitality and occasionally scaring away customers with their faces. By their fourth day they were decent enough to actually pass as servers. And by the last day the bond between the chefs of the _Baratie_ and the former Krieg Pirates was so great, that the pirates christened themselves the New Cook Pirates in honor of Zeff's former crew. Their departure was just as tearful as Sanji and Reiju's own. Many a manly tear were shed that day. The days after that were filled with melancholy as both the chefs and customers had begun to miss the antics of the pirate servers.

Some excitement finally came their way when a flotilla of six Marine ships, five frigates and one Man 'O' War with a dog with a bone in its mouth as the figurehead, were moored alongside the floating restaurant.

"Zeff, I want food!" Garp barked as he slammed the double doors open. The Vice-Admiral then marched inside and commandeered one of the tables for himself, those that were his senior staff and protégés quickly following his example as their escorting Marines stood at the ready outside of the _Baratie_.

"Calm your damn ass down Garp!" Zeff shouted from beyond the stairs. "I'm cooking your food damnit, so wait!" Meanwhile a few of the chef's had taken the other Marines' orders, not bothering with Garp on account of the Head Chef ordering them not to do so.

"Food!" Garp shouted again as he banged his utensils against the table. A number of the customers could not believe they were dining with Garp the Hero. But that awe at being in the same ship as him turned into bemusement as they saw him act like a child. Twenty minutes later Zeff hobbled down the stairs, three massive platters balanced in his hands and arms.

"Damnit, why'd you and your grandson have to show up? I've had enough with your family to last me for a year at least," the former pirate grumbled as he dropped the platters down onto Garp's table.

"My no good pirate of a grandson was here?" Garp asked as he bit into his medium rare tenderloin. He sighed in content as he allowed the flavor to overwhelm him before quickly bashing it down like he used to bash Luffy and Ace on the head when they were little brats.

"Yeah, left a little while back for Conomi Islands to free them from Arlong."

"Arlong? What the hell has my grandson gotten into now?" the Vice-Admiral demanded with a potato half-chewed in his mouth.

"Something to do with that girl… Nami I think her name was. Her home is apparently suffering under his rule and he took another pirate crew to attack his base, Arlong Park I think it was, and destroy it and free her home, I think Cocoyashi Village it was?"

"MY GRANDSON'S GONNA FIGHT A PIRATE TO SAVE AN ISLAND! HE WOULD HAVE MADE A GREAT MARINE!" Garp bellowed through a piece of meat in his mouth. "ZEFF, ROUNDS FOR EVERYONE! ON ME!"

"Yeah, yeah- DAMNIT GARP! STOP FALLING ASLEEP AT RANDOM!"

Coby and Helmeppo looked at one another and shook their heads before chomping down on their food, momentarily forgetting the insanity that came along with their commanding officer.

* * *

 **AN: Translation for original moves only. You have the wiki if you need the others. They're in italics so they're easier to find.**

 ** _Seiyū Heiwa (Silent Night of Serenity)_**

 ** _Kaiyūhanaryū (Blooming Night Flowers Style)_**

 ** _Hyakusora Sakuhana (One-Hundred Skyward Blooming Flowers)_**

 ** _Hioni Giri (Flying Ogre(Demon) Cutter)_**

 ** _Senbon Sakuhana (One-Thousand Blooming Flowers)_**

 ** _Kaiyūhanaryū Ōgi: Ichiman Sakukiku (Blooming Night Flowers Style Ultimate Technique: Ten-Thousand Blooming Chrysanthemums)_**

 **I, well Ivbleyuv really, messed with a bit of the world. And some of the things you saw in the original One Piece will be different here. There's going to be a poll going up related to this with a rather controversial question posed. Hopefully you all enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review if you feel like it. Or maybe even a like? Wish this site had that for stories. Also, updates will be once a week so long as my muse stays alive.**

 **Anyway, the question: Should Luffy be part of a secret splinter cell of the Marines whose main task is the overthrowing of** **the Tenryūbito, Gorōsei and the World Government? I'm going to make it simple and only have three options. Because its supposed to take a while before it comes in to effect, I'll leave the poll open for a bit. It's in my profile.**


	8. Chapter 8 Liberation Filled with Hope

**Disclaimer: BRAINS!**

 **WARNING ON THE FIRST CHAPTER! READ IT BEFORE PROCEEDING!**

 **(This warning will persist until deemed no longer necessary)**

* * *

Odyssey of the Will of 'D'

Chapter 8

Liberation Filled with Hope

"So tell me a little bit about your home." Nami peered up at Luffy, her amber eyes staring deeply into his own obsidian orbs, looking for a reason behind why he would ask now of all times now that they were on the cusp of liberating her village and the islands themselves from the tyrannical rule under the fishman Arlong. But she could only see pure curiosity, not unlike a child's own, even though Luffy could be considered a man-child for his exuberant and youthful personality and energy.

"It's a very beautiful tropic island," she hummed as she looked out toward the sea. Off to the portside of the _Going Merry_ was the _Flaming Molotov_ , the barque of the renamed New Cook Pirates. The much larger vessel swayed steadily on the waves, bobbing from side to side much like the smaller caravel was doing. That rocking motion for some would cause motion sickness, but for Nami and Luffy, it had a sort of soothing property to it right now. Up on the figurehead of their ship the two sat, the orangette leaning back into her captain's chest with his arms wrapped around her waist whilst her own hands rested on his, gripping the back in a comforting manner.

"Though it's not really my birthplace, Cocoyashi is the closest thing I have to home… besides maybe being a part of your crew Luffy." The last part came out as but a murmur, so quiet that no one else would have heard it. But of course Luffy with his unnatural abilities heard it all, a warm smile blossoming on his face, even though his navigator could not see it.

"What's it like in the mornings?" he asked gently as he readjusted the both of them into a more comfortable position.

"Oh it is so beautiful in the mornings, especially from one of my special spots near my home."

"Special spot?"

"Un, I have a lot of them because I was a bit of a tomboy when I was younger, always climbing trees, exploring hills and swimming in streams," she reminisced with a fond smile as she recalled those fond times as a child with her sister Nojiko and the other village children. "There was this hill that I would always wander off to before dawn and from there I would watch the sun rise every day. One day mom and Nojiko found me there and scolded me so badly for worrying them sick. From then on one or both of them would watch the sunrise with me."

"Nami…" her captain murmured as he squeezed her gently, having seen her small shoulders tremble lightly from the happy memory. He knew on some instinctual level that the memory of those happier times was painful to her. Though he could do nothing about the past, he knew that what he was going to be doing tomorrow would finally free his navigator from those terrible shackles that bound her to her painful life under Arlong.

"The day before that monster came to our island, I got into a fight with mom and Nojiko." Her grip on her captain's hands tightened to show how painful the memory was. "I said some things that I knew I shouldn't have, but I was so mad at her, my sister and myself that I said them anyway. And when Arlong showed up, he had demanded a protection fee to be paid by each person. One-hundred thousand Beri for adults and fifty-thousand for kids." Nami smiled a little when she heard a menacing growl emanate from deep in Luffy's throat, knowing that it was aimed not at her, but at the fishman that caused all of her pain.

"Our family had been poor, my mom barely had enough at times to feed us that she had to rely on her mikan grove to sustain us. That was one of the reasons why I screamed so badly at her." She hiccupped a little as tears began to well in her eyes. "So when Arlong came to our home for the money, was just barely able to scrounge up one-hundred thousand. But she couldn't deny that Nojiko and I were her children, she was too proud of us to deny that we weren't related to her. Arlong would have shot her then and there if not for a gust of wind that blew through an open window in our home. It lifted a number of the charts I had made and they scattered out the front door. One of them smacked into his face and I was afraid that he was going to kill me too when he asked who made the charts.

"But he didn't. He was… ecstatic to find such a detailed sea chart and demanded to know who drew them. He said that he would spare our family and waive our payments if whoever made the charts stepped forward and worked for him. So I did. But he lied about leaving mom alone. She was a former Marine, and would have more than likely reported the incident. So Arlong took mom and imprisoned her to not only keep her quiet, but also us her as 'incentive' to make sure I did what he said or else…" she trailed off, her shoulders shaking once more. And once more she was pulled into a reassuring hug by her captain and confidant.

"Nami…"

"The one-million Beri I've been trying to collect, that was to free my village as well as free mom from captivity… It was the only hope I had for so long to escape this nightmare. For so long I lived in the fear that I might die before I could see her again, that I would die a dog's death at the feet of some ruthless pirate after having failed to rob him. But then you came Luffy. You came out of nowhere and gave me your friendship and trust. You gave me hope and most of all your love."

"We're going to save your mom, village and home. This is my promise to you as your Captain, friend and lover," he whispered into her hair. Nami choked out a sob at his words, once more overwhelmed at the depths of his feelings for her. For a time the two just sat there, one trembling as she was held in the arms of the man who gave her hope that she was deprived of for so long, while the other glared off in the direction of Conomi Islands to the northwest.

Earlier in the day, the Straw Hat Pirates along with the New Cook Pirates had met for their fourth war council. Gin, now a captain, and Pearl, now the vice-captain, had arrived three days ago along with their crew on their barque in the Yo-yo Islands and from there the joint pirate operation had begun to be planned. With Nami's intimate knowledge of the Conomi Islands she was able to draw up a detailed map of the local topography so that they could map out their plan of attack. It had taken a while, as not only were the forces splitting up, the Straw Hat Pirates assaulting Arlong Park and the New Cook Pirates providing fire support, but they would need to account for civilian presence as well as train the New Cook Pirates so that they could stand on even footing with the Arlong Pirates.

The joint pirate operation was to be initiated tomorrow sometime in the afternoon, a little after lunch time at Arlong Park. They were hoping to catch the fishmen off guard, but they held no illusions that their surprise attack would completely work. However, no matter what occurred tomorrow, Arlong Park, the Arlong Pirates and Arlong himself would fall. There would be no mercy for those who hurt his navigator, be they man or fishman, pirate, Marine or civilian, mortal or god, peasant or king.

But at the moment he would not allow himself to dwell on those thoughts about the future, as they were about the future, something that was not present and right in front of him. Luffy was not one for somber and morose atmospheres, so instead he decided to turn the subject of their talks back on track before they had been carried off on a tangent.

"The sunrises on Mount Colubo were real pretty too," Luffy began as he peered up into the night sky, the stars shining their meager yet innumerable lights down upon them. The full moon hung ever so slightly over the seas, the light reflecting off the dark water and creating a magnificent sight for the two awake pirates. Nami laughed a little in his lap, guffawing at her captain's ever so great articulation. "There were so many pretty colors that would appear that I wondered if there was anything as pretty as the sunrise."

"Did you ever find anything as pretty as the sunrise back on your home island Luffy?" the orangette in his lap asked, her eyes swimming with mirth and curiosity and awe as she peered up at her friend through her lashes.

"I something as pretty as it and something more pretty than it."

"And what are they Captain?"

"The sunset that I would see on the other side of the mountain as the sun came down. It was just a pretty as the sunrise back on Dawn Island."

"We may have to go back there one day just so you can show me."

"I plan to," Luffy laughed as she leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. She smiled up at him and turned herself around so that she was now facing him. The orangette then reached up and placed one hand behind his head, the other on his shoulder and pulled him in for their first ever real kiss. Though it was short and chaste and not as passionate as belied their love for one another, the amount of love that conveyed in that single kiss was enough for the both of them to what they meant for one another.

"So what was the other thing you found that was prettier than the sunrises back on Dawn Island?"

"That's obvious," he answered with a grin on his face. "You."

The massive blush that bloomed on the navigator's cheeks was so bright that someone off in the distance could mistake it for a light source of some kind.

* * *

A clownfish fishman lazed about on a rock, soaking in the midmorning sun during his watch in the Conomi Islands. He yawned loudly, covering his mouth with his webbed hand and smacked his gums together in boredom. It had been boring a watch so far, as it usually was. Rarely ever did something happen during the morning watch after sunrise because humans usually did not traverse the seas unlike the fishmen who travelled all of the time on the waves, or under them. Even if any human vessels approached the island, more often than not they were attacked by a veritable army of human-hating fishmen who would kill a number of the crew and loot the ship before tearing the vessel apart systematically to make it appear as if a Sea King had attacked.

It was not that they had to worry about the Marines snooping around investigating the disappearances of the merchant or civilian vessels in the vicinity of the Conomi Islands. They had a greedy Marine by the name of Nezumi, a Captain ranked Marine and commander of the local Marine garrison, The Sixteenth Branch, in their pocket who they paid handsomely to not only falsify reports on the incidents but also keep quiet about Arlong's presence in the East Blue. The fishmen did not particularly care that deeply for Nezumi, as only his greed for money was what set him apart from the rest of the trash species.

So far the first hour had been pretty boring, with the fishman doing single handed push-ups with his legs straight in the air to pass the time. It was not that he had to worry at all about being distracted with his workout, as he had always done it during his watch to pass the time faster. Even if one of the senior members of the Arlong Pirates came to inspect his watch, they would have let him do as he pleased, as there was no way a human vessel could escape his superior fishman eyes.

It came as a surprise then when he was sent flying forward into another rock, the concussion of the blast rattling his head while the hard impact into the rock compounded his headache. The fishman then extricated himself from the deep indentation his body had made into the earthen object and staggered about as he landed back onto another rock. Stilling himself so that he could regain his equilibrium, the fishman then growled as he rose to his full height and glared out onto the horizon trying to spot whatever it was that fired at him.

His eyes narrowed as he spied two objects far into the distance, one vastly larger than the other. From their configuration they looked to be sea-faring vessels of some kind. He could not make out to whom the ships were affiliated to, nor did he care. All he did care about was calling in reinforcements to sink the two offending vessels. Before he could go over to where he had left his Den-Den Mushi, a voice stopped him cold in his tracks.

"Yeah, I'm gonna have to ask you to not do that." The fishman slowly turned his head and body in the direction the voice came from, his instincts screaming at him that whoever this voice belonged to was an apex predator and overriding his fight or flight reaction, keeping his feet rooted in place.

When he finally turned around to see who it was that had him so fearfully petrified, he almost had a heart attack. Standing before him was a young man with a scar directly under his left eye, Straw Hat upon his head, open red vest, blue shorts with sandals on his feet. The person was very familiar, as all Arlong Pirates had seen the recent wanted poster with one Monkey D. Luffy and Nami for the bounty picture. They had all assumed that Nami was fooling the young man, as she had done to numerous other pirate crews before robbing them blind and hightailing back to the Conomi Islands with her loot.

Now that the pirate stood before him, his eye narrowed to pinpricks, brow furrowed in anger, lip curled down in a frown and arms crossed over his chest in fury, the fishman knew that Monkey D. Luffy was not being conned by their fellow Arlong Pirate. It appeared more than likely that Nami had found the person who would not only save her mother and village, but free her home islands. They should have known never to trust a human, even one as useful as Nami.

"H-How did you get here?" the clownfish asked, the question being the only thing on as his mind as he knew his chances of fleeing or winning against his opponent were below even zero.

"I rode in on that shot," the raven-haired young man replied with a grin, his visage turning into childish glee.

"Wha-" Before the Arlong Pirate could even finish his statement he found himself imbedded a half meter face down into the rock he was formerly standing upon. He had blacked out the moment the dropkick had impacted his head, the blow mercifully knocking him out before he ate rocks.

Luffy huffed before jumping back into the waters and swimming back to the two approaching ships. About half way to the _Going Merry_ and _Flaming Molotov_ , he spotted an inky black object making its way to the two vessels. He knew that to be the Sea Cow Mohmoo, the pet of the Arlong Pirates and one of the strongest fighters. The liberation force had questioned why Luffy had appeared uncaring about dealing with the Sea Cow, but had trusted him when he told them that he had an ace up his sleeve that would take care of the beast.

As he swam closer and closer to the ships, he saw the form of the Sea Cow rise between him and the two pirate vessels. He could hear a number of the New Cook Pirate panicking, Pearl and Gin trying to rally them so that they could ready the guns, and his own crew shouting about Luffy not having his shit together while Sanji and Zoro argued about who could defeat the sea monster faster. All conversation was cut short however when a Sea King suddenly rose out from the sea towards the aft of both ships, its form towering over the large barque, its emergence from the sea causing massive waves that rocked both seafaring vessels. All the while Luffy swam forward as if the Sea King was just business as usual, his crew screaming at him that they were completely screwed before shutting up when the Sea King opened its mouth.

"GRRRRRRRAAAAAAAWWWWHHHHH!" it roared, its massive teeth on display for both the two pirate crews and the much smaller Sea Cow. The Sea King itself had the visage of a Moray Eel, its lower snout jutting out and once more displaying its deadly fangs for all to see. Its angry, red eyes then zeroed in on the Sea Cow which seemed frozen in place due to sheer terror. For a while there was stare-off between the two denizens of the seas.

" _Behind you is a human that can hear our voice_ ," the Sea King communicated to the Sea Cow, their conversation unknown to all save for the young man the Lord of the Coast referred to. Mohmoo slowly turned around to gaze upon the person the Sea King was talking about and its eyes soon landed on a young raven haired man with a Straw Hat making his way toward the smaller wooden human invention.

" _Truly?_ " the green and white blotched Sea Cow asked.

" _Indeed. The human even bears the Blessing of the Seas_ ," the Lord of the Coast confirmed as Luffy climbed aboard the _Going Merry_.

" _A human that bears the Blessing of the Seas and can hear the Voice of All Things. I have heard but tales of such humans existing once upon a time. To see one in the flesh and blood before my very eyes..._ "

" _Will you help us?_ " By now the New Cook Pirates and the Straw Hat Pirates were already continuing on toward the docks of Cocoyashi Village, their two flags flying proudly for the villagers to see proudly. " _Should you not accept to fight alongside us, then I will be forced to battle you here and now. And I promise you that I have not lost in my five-hundred years of life._ "

For a moment the Lord of the Seas was hoping that the Sea Beast would refuse to cooperate, as he was raring for a good fight. And a Sea Beast, even a Sea Cow, always promised a good fight for a Sea King. He was disappointed however when Mohmoo lowered its neck and bared it before him, a clear sign in the animal kingdom that the one with its neck ready to be snapped was at the call of the other. The Lord of the Coast huffed through its nostrils before submerging itself into the waters, the Sea Cow following his example, awaiting the call from Luffy once more for his assistance.

* * *

"Pirates! Pirates are coming!" a village yelled as he peered through his spy glass. He had earlier been looking out over the horizon from the docks of Cocoyashi Village. The man had seen the two approaching vessels and had believed them doomed, their imminent fate sealed even more by the appearance of Mohmoo. His eyes had bugged out when a Sea King of all things had risen from the seas and roared. It seemed that the two ships were even more doomed, but he was surprised further when the Sea King seemed to goad the Sea Cow into submission, allowing the two ships to further approach the docks. When they had come close enough for identification, Mikes had seen the two black flags flying atop their main masts.

By now every single villager of Cocoyashi had gathered at harbor, all armed with pitchforks, spears, or swords that they had hidden due to Arlong's no weapons rule. They could not rely on the fishmen to protect them, as they would have already arrived and destroyed the vessels long ago. Whoever the pirates were, they were smart enough to spot the spotters that Arlong had deployed around the Conomi Islands and take them out of commission so that they could make their approach stealthily.

"Whatever happens every one!" an older man with scars crisscrossing his face in a brown uniform and matching hat shouted as he brandished his sword. The wind picked up around them, spinning the small pinwheel attached to his cap rapidly. "Whatever happens, we do this to protect not only our homes and one another, but we do this to protect the dream Nami always had of freeing her mother! No matter what we cannot let them get to her home and take that money! EVEN TO OUR LAST BREATH WE MUST MAKE SURE SHE HAS AT LEAST SOMETHING LEFT IN THIS WORLD!"

"OOOOUUUUU!" Every village chorused as they brandished their weapons, willing to fight to the last breath to protect their home. Every single one of them could not believe that sweet, little Nami could join those ruthless fishmen. But the truth had become evident four years ago when Nami returned with the Arlong Pirate tattoo upon her left shoulder. They still had not believed it and had interrogated Nojiko about why her little sister would join the crew that had killed her mother. All of them were shocked to find out that they were lied to, that Bell-mère was alive and well, relatively speaking, and that Nami was working for them and had been promised that if she had one-million Beri that she could buy back not only her village's freedom, but her mother's own.

And so for many years they had played the ignorant villagers card well, scorning the orangette for joining their oppressors out of greed. It killed many of them on the inside that they had to excommunicate the young woman just to play the part. They had seen how she came back at times, bloodied and bruised with a smile on her face and a bag of treasure over her shoulder. The villagers knew that she was putting up a strong front and realized that if she knew that they knew about what she was risking her life to do they were afraid she would push herself even harder with their expectations and hope weighing down upon her small shoulders. And so they scorned her so that she could carry out her mission without worry for them.

With those two pirate vessels bearing down upon them, they had no doubt in their mind that they were here to plunder everything of worth in their village, even though there was little to nothing left worth taking. But they would be damned if they let those cursed pirates male it to Nami's home and wreck it trying to find valuables before stumbling upon her cache of Beri. With vigor none of them realized they had, they stood strong and immovable at the docks, ready to face down the pirates that surely would kill them.

"WAIT!" Mikes shouted as peered through the spyglass once more. The image had cleared up better through the spyglass as the two ships closed in, revealing a figure standing in the crow's nest waving their arms, almost in the form of a greeting. Closer and closer the two pirate ships came did the features of the person become clearer, revealing a mop of short orange hair atop a beautiful young woman in a green floral pattern camisole and black pants. "IT'S NAMI! NAMI'S BACK! AND SHE BROUGHT PIRATES!"

The jaws of every villager dropped at Mikes' revelation, their resolution leaving them like the winds left the sails of ships traversing the Calm Belt. Every single one of them had prepared to die at the hands of the pirates, but to see that Nami was actually bringing them meant one of two things. The pirates were her friends and had come back to Cocoyashi Village to visit, more than likely so that they could be attacked by Arlong later or they had captured Nami and forced her to tell them where she kept her loot of Beri, more than likely after she had failed to rob them of their treasure.

The Cocoyashi Village locals could only watch with stunned faces and blank minds as the two vessels slowly approached, the smaller of the two making it way to the docks while the other turned hard to port before dropping its anchor offshore. When the smaller of the two ships made it to the docks, the sound of two anchors breaking the surface of the water could be heard after the sails were furled up, signaling that ship, a caravel, was successfully docked. Every villager waited with baited breath, wondering who it was that would disembark from the ship.

They did not have to wait for long as a gangplank was lowered from the ship followed by seven sets of feet echoing off the piece of wood. Soon seven figures appeared to match those footsteps and one by one the figures' feet left the gangplank and gathered on the pier.

To one side stood four figures all sporting swords at their sides, the one with green hair armed to teeth from the looks of it with three katana at his side instead. The one standing to his left was a young woman sporting a katana in a white sheath while the two men to her left sported dadaos instead. On the other side of the gangplank stood a blonde with a cigarette between his lips in a black business suit while a pinkette in a pink business stood to his side. To their side was an older woman wearing a cowboy hat and somewhat immodest clothing and a long nosed young man with a tall object strapped to his back.

It was the two figures in the middle however that had the attention of all the villagers. One of them was of course their very own Nami, but it was the other one that had a few of them worrying in fear. They had seen the wanted posters and wondered whether or not this Monkey D. Luffy was just another victim of Nami's or an actual friend of hers. But with the smile that was on her lips, and the happiness that was written on her face, they could all tell that this young man was something special to their girl.

"Y-Your Monkey D. Luffy," one of the villagers muttered as he pointed at the young man.

"Ah, I am," was his simple reply.

"Nami, what are you doing here with these pirates?"

"You must be Genzo, right?" Luffy suddenly asked he walked forward and offered his hand out to the older man. Nami's surrogate father blinked at the offered appendage, the gears in his head grinding to a halt as he tried to understand whether or not a pirate was actually standing before him. His body decided to move on its own, and he extended his hand and shook Luffy's own, gripping back tightly.

"That I am," the older man acknowledged with a nod of his head, liking this young man a little because of the strong grip he felt.

"Thank you for looking after my navigator," Luffy said with a smile as he pulled Nami forward and wrapped his hand around her waist. Genzo's narrowed just a little at the action, wondering what Luffy's relationship was with his surrogate daughter. "I feel like I already know a lot about you, even though this is the first time we've met."

"That hand had better stay above the waist boy," the older man growled, the threat evident in his voice. By now the villagers had relaxed and begun to watch the conversation going on in front of them with growing amusement.

"My parental figures have taught me better than that ji-san."

"Not good enough apparently if you're calling me ji-san."

"Should I call you tou-chan?" Luffy wondered with a tilt of his head.

"Why the hell would you call me that kid?"

"Because I'm going to marry Nami one day and make her my queen." The jaws of the villagers dropped once more, as none of them had expected the conversation to take this turn. And did he mention something about making her a queen?!

"EEEEEEHHHHHH?!"

"What the hell are you, some kind of prince?" the mayor and sheriff of Cocoyashi spluttered out after getting over the shock of Nami marrying one day. He of course knew that his little girl was going to get married and have a family, though that did not mean he had to acknowledge that fact.

"Nope, just the man who will be Pirate King one day."

"EEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHH?!"

"Luffy, pleasantries later, mission first," Nami admonished with a swift whack to the back of her captain's head. Luffy just laughed, the love tap doing literally nothing to him.

"Shishishi, you're right." He then turned back to the villagers and bowed deeply. "I apologize for all of you having to suffer under the rule of Arlong for so long in what is supposed to be the most peaceful sea of the world." Luffy then rose to full height and looked each of them in the eye. "As the grandson of a Vice-Admiral, allow me to extend to you his deepest regrets that the Marines could not be there for you in your time of need, be it due to their own lack of strength or their corruption.

"As captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, I, Monkey D. Luffy, have come to liberate the home of my navigator, Nami, future Pirate Queen, as is my duty as her captain and nakama." To his side Nami smiled unevenly, her lips trembling as she fought back the happy tears. So instead she grabbed his hand and clasped it in her own, threading her smaller fingers in between his larger ones. The Straw Hat Pirates and the residents of Cocoyashi Village smiled in earnest at the bond between captain and navigator. "In two hours Arlong Park will lie in ruins, with the Arlong Pirates defeated and its leader Arlong lying broken in the midst of all."

Once more the villagers were surprised, as the pirates that stood before them were not lambs to the slaughter or wolves in sheep's' fur, but rather a force of nature that was ready to crash down upon Arlong Park like a tsunami and wipe away all trace of the fishmen and their leader. That feeling that they had when they had learned Nami was doing everything for them had come back with a vengeance, but this time more powerful than ever. This time the budding feeling of hope welled within all of their chests, threatening to burst from within them all and consume them.

"LET'S GO GUYS!" Luffy roared to the heavens before walking forward, Nami still at his side and their hands brushing against one another now instead of clasped together.

"OOOOOOSSSSSSUUUU!" the Straw Hat Pirates chorused as they followed their leader to Arlong Park. The villagers of Cocoyashi followed in their wake, eager to see the downfall of Arlong and all of his machinations with their very own eyes so that they could see history in the making. A few had broken away from the crowd and made a mad dash to the other villages of the island so that word might be spread on what was happening.

About halfway to Arlong Park the Straw Hat Pirates were joined by at least forty men, all of them bearing a tattoo or marking of a fork, knife and duck with a chef's hat somewhere on them. Nearly an hour later the mass of people were gathered at the edge of the clearing that lead to Arlong Park. A few villagers caught sight of a number of men taking up firing positions at the tree line, their rifles trained on Arlong Park. They were more than likely supporting fire for the attack that was to be occurring in mere moments those villagers surmised. They were soon joined by Nojiko and one of the runners, the latter having returned from his duty of retrieving Nami's sister. The eldest daughter of Bell-mère gasped when she saw her sister's back and began to wonder what was going on before going to her surrogate father's side.

When finally they were at the ornate stone doors of Arlong Park the Straw Hat Pirates and New Cook Pirates halted and stared up at the arrogance of Arlong. They had argued at length on who would be the one to kick in the door before deciding that it would be best to leave it to the navigator and captain.

The orangette slowly approached the door, her captain at her side, ready to kick the show off with a bang. Nami slowly raised her hand and knocked thrice on the down before dropping her hand back down and assembling the Clima-Tact in her hands. Both she and Luffy then activated their _Busō-shoku no Haki_ , him coating his fist and her coating the modified Bo-staff, shocking the villages as they saw Nami use an ability unknown to all of them.

"Hello?" a bored voice asked as the owner of the voice peered through the eye slit in the door. Nami then Bo-staff quickly in her hands before ramming it with such force into the stone door before her that it exploded backwards, sending the unlucky fishman flying. Her captain had done the same as well with his door, his fist flying forward and utterly devastating the obstruction, the explosion sending nearby fishmen flying into one another or the pagoda style building while bits of rock flew forward with such force that they took out groups of fishmen.

"I-Is that really Nami?" the blue haired, tanned young woman asked from beside Genzo. The mayor turned to observe his other surrogate daughter before turning back to watch the final dark days of Conomi Island come to an end.

"It is Nojiko," he confirmed as the Straw Hat Pirates and New Cook Pirates slowly poured in through the hole Luffy and Nami had made, the Straw Hat Pirates standing in the middle with a tanned man wielding tonfas standing amongst them, the New Cook Pirates spreading out and guarding their flanks. "She's found friends with strength that will never abandon her, if what little I saw from the interaction between her and her captain, Monkey D. Luffy, is true."

"Monkey D. Luffy," Nojiko murmured, testing the name on her lips, as she looked on. 'Who are you to have given my little sister such strength and hope?'

"Knock, knock," Nami began with a smirk, her Clima-Tact spinning in her right hand.

"Room service," the raven-haired young man beside her finished.

"Nami…" the figure seated underneath the archway growled. She grit her teeth at the annoying voice that belonged to that fishman, Arlong. "What is the meaning of this?"

"From the looks of it Arlong, we've been betrayed by Nami," a fishman standing beside Arlong pointed out as he turned toward the force of pirates. Nami had briefed all of the Straw Hats and the senior staff of the New Cook Pirates on the strongest fighters in the Arlong Pirates crew. From the way his hair was configured, along with his fighting stance, it was easy to identify him as Kuroobi, the first mate of the Arlong Pirates and second most powerful fighter of the Arlong Pirates.

"Looks like you were right not to trust her, chuu." Annoying verbal tic, big red lips and a mop of blonde hair on his head confirmed him as Chew, sniper of the Arlong Pirates.

"How can I betray you when I was never really one of you?!" Nami shouted with an angry look on her face. "After everything you've done to me, my mother, my sister and my home, why on earth would you think that I'd ever really join you?!"

"We're here to kick your ass Arlong and destroy your park you bastard," her captain stated as he lifted his hat from his head and placed it on Nami's. "I'm going to pay you back for all the tears you made my navigator cry!"

"Enough of this, kill them all except for Nami! I'm going to show her what happens to traitors!" Arlong commanded, his fellow fishmen rushing forward brandishing their weapons. A pink octopus fishman with a star shaped hair style, identifying himself to be Hatchan, meanwhile had whistled, calling upon the Sea Cow pet of theirs to aid them in their battle.

"I CALL UPON YOU, O LORD OF THE COAST!" Luffy shouted when Arlong gave his pirate crew the command to kill them all.

From out of the water rose Mohmoo and the Lord of the Coast, the latter roaring as rose from the watery depths of the sea. The Sea Cow as well let loose a loud bellow before the both of them slammed down upon the charging fishmen, completely catching them off guard at the sudden double cross from their pet. Usopp then fired up into the air a starburst that exploded brilliantly. Before long shots began to rain down upon Arlong Park, destroying a number of the auxiliary structures along with the wall itself. During the entire confusion, the two sea monsters had disappeared right back into the watery depths, most likely fulfilling whatever task Luffy had asked of them.

"WHAT?!" Arlong roared in fury, his eyes becoming bloodshot.

"NOW!" Luffy shouted as he and Nami sprinted forward, their target the captain himself. His crew and Gin brought up the rear for them, their targets already picked out. They would fight the three strongest fighters, tag teaming them while the New Cook Pirates fought it out with the lower ranks of the Arlong Pirates, with any of the free stronger fighters aiding them if any fights that became too dire. They did not need to worry too much, as the fire support from the tree line was accurate enough to incapacitate any unwitting fishman.

"Your fight is with me!" Sanji roared as he leapt forward and kicked a charging Kuroobi away from his captain and navigator. Said fishman growled as he impacted through the wall of the main building and skidded to a stop in the main lobby. He glared hatefully at the approaching blonde and pinkette and readied himself be falling into the ninth stance of Fishman Karate.

"You will die here for this!" he roared back at the two Straw Hat Pirates.

"Bring it you walking fish!" Sanji shot back as he rapidly spun on one foot, much like a figure skater. Kuroobi watched in fright as the humans leg literally caught on fire, his pant legs and shoe glowing an angry red.

"One fried ray, coming right up!" the former prince shouted as he appeared right in front of the fishman and kicked him hard in the gut. "DIABLE JAMBE! FLANCHET!" he announced, sending the fishman clear through the other side of the building into the jungle. Both siblings soon raced after the fishman, intent on doling out his just deserts.

"Out of the way!" Zoro roared as shoulder checked Hatchan out of the way of the charging captain and Nami, drawing his two new unnamed swords as the two of them sailed through the air. The octopus fishman growled quietly as he observed the swordsman before him. "You know out of all of the fishmen of this crew, Nami told us that you were a good guy. Now that begs the question, are you following them because you have a friend in this crew, or do you actually agree with their ideology?"

"Arlong and I are friends, Roronoa Zoro. I simply follow him out of respect for our bond."

"That makes it a little easier for me then," Zoro admitted as he sheathed both katana and instead pulled out the other from its black sheathe. "Because of this wound near my heart I wouldn't have been able to go all out for long."

"You would still fight with a wound like that? Why?"

"Because our navigator asked our captain to save her home and topple Arlong Park. She's our nakama and the one who'll become Pirate Queen." Zoro had a sour look on his face when he said that last statement. "So because you're a good guy, I'm not going to kick your ass but instead put on a little show. How would you like to cross swords with a person who survived a duel with Dracule Mihawk?"

"Very well then." He then hopped over to one of the destroyed auxiliary buildings and rummaged around before drawing six swords. "I shall honor you with my greatest technique then, Roronoa Zoro!"

"Your fight is with me!" Usopp shouted as he launched a shrapnel pellet at Chew's face. The fishman growled he spat a few droplets at the offending projectile, thinking it was only a simple lead pellet. Imagine his surprise when the object exploded and shrapnel flew at him, catching him in the eye and scratching his lips and leaving numerous wounds on his body as a result.

"Damn you filthy human, chuu!" the fishman shouted back as he prepared to fire upon the long nosed pirate. He had to jump back when a massive mace impacted the concrete he was standing on, shattering the floor in the process. Quick as a flash the mace was lifted and sped at his face, the fishman only barely having enough time to put up a guard before he was launched into the air by a swing from the mighty weapon.

"Alvida! Boost me up!" Usopp shouted as he ran at the Helmswoman. She nodded once, readying her mace and when Usopp jumped up and landed on her weapon she swung with all of her might and sent the sniper flying into the air. From there the two would have their midair 'dogfight' until gravity took control once more and sent them careening down back to the earth.

"Nami you traitor!" Arlong growled as he rose to his full height before punching the wall behind him and pulling out his trusted razor sword Kiribachi. "I'm going to kill all of these damn humans you brought along and those puny villagers! And once I'm done I'm going to BREAK YOU!" he roared as he swung his sword with his mighty fishman body.

"NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!" Nami and Luffy shouted as one, the former sliding under the swing using her momentum from her run, her Clima-Tact coated with _Busō-shoku no Haki_ smacking into Arlong's calves five times, causing them to buckle ever so slightly. She frowned a little at the attack, as Krieg had gone down after a few. The orangette then remembered the physical difference between the two and cursed before turning around preparing her Clima-Tact for the Cyclone Tempo she had Usopp program into it.

Luffy meanwhile had jumped over swing and did a handspring over Arlong using the blade as his jumping point. While he was still airborne over the fishman he had extended his fist and coated it once more in _Busō-shoku no Haki_ , making the left hook he sent Arlong's even more painful. The fishman grunted as he skidded towards the water, his broken teeth falling out of his mouth before a new set of teeth grew in. 'He knows _Haki_ , damnit it all!' he thought before brought his sword up and then down, intent on cleaving young man that appeared before him. He was stopped short however when something smacked right into him and blew him away right into the waters behind him with gale force winds.

"N-No way, are they really beating back those fishman?" a young woman asked in awe as she and the rest of the Cocoyashi villagers looked on. By now they had been joined be at least two-hundred or so other civilians from the other villages on their island. None of them had believed the runners that someone was going to fight the Arlong Pirates, least of all pirates instead of Marines. But lo and behold when they came across Arlong Park what they saw was a massive battle being waged between humans and fishmen, with the favor being in the corner of the human pirates. Several fighters stood out amongst the human pirates, a swordsman duo fighting back to back while a swordswoman dodged attacks and weaved through the fishmen, wind blades cutting down any of her foes. One fighter seemed particularly merciless as he dodged attacks within a hair's breadth before retaliating with a painful swing of his tonfa generally to the head, stomach or leg of his opponents.

For so long they had all lived with the despair that they would be ruled over by the Arlong Pirates forever. Some had even learned that a Marine Captain was taking bribes from the fishman to keep quiet about the plight of the Conomi Islands. A number had heard of one of their own, Nami, joining the Arlong Pirates and had for a while believed she had betrayed her species to join the ferocious pirate crew. It was only be passing, hushed whispers and quiet rumors had they learned that the girl had only joined to save her mother. They were even more startled to realize that she had been promised by Arlong that she could free her mother and village if she brought him one-million Beri. Though they were enraged that she could not save them as well, they had come to understand that she was one person. How could they expect her to save all of them?

But now that they watched her fight alongside this young man that Genzo had identified as Monkey D. Luffy, who, if the stories told by the New Cook Pirates were to be believed, had freed three villages in the East Blue from not only the tyranny of pirates, but corrupt Marines as well, they all felt that same feeling that they had kept locked away bubbling back to the surface. After so long living in the iron grip of Arlong and his fishman pirate crew, the villagers all began to feel hope that their peaceful free lives were just over the horizon.

"STRAW HATS! STRAW HATS!"

"NEW COOKS! NEW COOKS!"

"NAMI! NAMI! NAMI!"

"LUFFY! LUFFY! LUFFY!"

"You damned humans, chuu!" Chew shouted from in the air as he readied to fire upon the crowd of civilians. How dare they think that these pieces of filth could stand up to the might of fishmen and the members of the Arlong Pirates no less?

"I told you your fight is with me!" Usopp roared as he drew back his slingshot, laden with his most powerful pellet to date. "SPECIAL ATTACK! RISING PHOENIX!" The pellet then rocketed from his mighty slingshot when the sniper released his grip on the end. As it sailed through the air the wrapping soon burned away revealing a massive fire bird which screeched into existence, its flames illuminating the sky. It soon dove upon the smelt-whiting fishman who had sucked in as much water as he could before firing his Mizu Tiahō at the fiery bird. He could only watch with horror as the water evaporated right before the phoenix, his horror turning up a few notches as the mythical bird crashed into him and engulfed him in flames. His screams followed him all the down, before he splashed into the water extinguishing the flames. The pain was too much however, as he had passed out from the third-degree burns he had suffered.

"AH! SOMEONE CATCH ME!" Usopp screamed as gravity decided now was a good time as any to remind the human of its presence. Everyone not engaged in battle sweatdropped at the sudden flip-flop of the sniper's attitude. Luckily enough Kuina was able to catch his sorry behind as she jumped into the air and caught him bridal style.

"COLLIER SHOOT!" They heard two voices cry out from up above. Nearly everyone's head turned skyward to see two people with flaming legs kick the neck of Kuroobi and send him crashing down into the concrete below with a painful thud. Sanji and Reiju then landed on the roof of the pagoda where they then used to rejoin the rest of their forces.

" _Ittōryū Iai: Shishi Sonson!_ " Zoro cried out as fly towards Hatchan.

" _Rokutōryū Ōgi: Rokuto no Waltz!_ " Hatchan shouted while his six swords spun rapidly in his hands. It reminded all of the Straw Hat and New Cook Pirates of Zoro's own _Santōryū Ōgi: Sanzen Sekai_ that he had attempted to use to defeat Mihawk with. Maybe this was mimicking history a little, as Zoro flashed past the octopus fishman whose swords had stopped spinning. Zoro then calmly sheathed _Seiya Heiwa_ and then one by one the swords broke bit by bit, Hatchan following shortly after as a long gash appeared on his chest.

"You filthy humans!" Arlong roared as he shot out of the water, his nose turning into a more deadly object as he sailed through the air ready to run Luffy through. "SHARK ON DARTS!"

"NOT HAPPENING ARLONG!" the navigator of the Straw Hat Pirates screamed as a thunderbolt came crashing down from the sky and zapped the airborne fishman. During the time in between Arlong hitting the water and emerging from the water, Nami had used the two Heat and Cool Rods of her Clima-Tact to ready the air for what would arguable be the most effective attack in her arsenal against a fishman such as Arlong. Once he had come careening out of the water like a bat out of hell she had quickly fired off a Thunder Ball into the air and directed it towards the fishman.

"ARGGGGHHHHH!" Arlong cried out as the electrical attack passed through him, his body losing its initial momentum due to the attack before crashing into the concrete right in front of Luffy. Or he would have crashed into the ground had Luffy not immediately punched him into the sky. Everyone's eyes soon followed the young pirate captain as he leapt into the sky after Arlong, but not before shouting, "Nami, I need lots of lightning!"

Not questioning his motives, Nami had complied with his request by summoning as many thunder clouds as she could. Overhead the clouds grew darker and darker, lightning arcing amongst the clouds and thunder roaring in its wake.

"Now Nami!" Luffy shouted as he readied a _Busō-shoku no Haki_ enhanced fist, Arlong still suspended in air in front of the young pirate captain. His navigator quickly activated the Thunderbolt Tempo at his command. Soon electricity came crashing down upon Luffy, collecting on his fist whilst bringing no harm to him at all due to his Akuma no Mi ability. He roared as his fist grew in size before flying forward.

" _Gomu-Gomu no Inazuma Jūdan!_ " the fist coated with _Busō-shoku no Haki_ and enhanced by lightning flew forward and struck Arlong dead in the stomach. For a few moments lightning arched around them, before Arlong flew at near super-sonic speeds into the topmost level of Arlong Park which was coincidentally the place where Nami had told Luffy she had spent many a day making sea charts for Arlong. Without even going into it further, Luffy had decided then and there that place had to be destroyed.

"Usopp! Fire!" The sniper nodded, firing a starburst into the air signaling to the _Flaming Molotov_ that they could begin the destruction of Arlong Park. A few seconds later cannonball after cannonball rained down upon the structure, puncturing holes through the massive structure and mortally wounding its supports. A deep rumbling soon was heard as Arlong Park began to collapse right before their eyes. Every single person in the vicinity of the structure fled so as to avoid any falling debris. Nami was the only who could not follow as she found a long rubbery arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her up into the air toward her captain.

"Luffy! Thank you!" she cried as got closer.

"NAMI! YOU WILL ALWAYS BE MY NAKAMA, MY NAVIGATOR AND MY QUEEN!" he screamed for all of the world to know. His arm then snapped back to its original length, both arms soon snaking around the orangette's waist as she pulled him in to a deep kiss. When they parted, they both had goofy grins and deep blushes. Gravity then decided to remind them of its presence and before they could smack painfully into the ground, Luffy disappeared and then reappeared right alongside the rest of his crew.

"ARLONG PARK HAS FALLEN!" Genzo shouted as he stared at the rubble that once was the towering visage of Arlong's vanity. "SPREAD THE WORD TO THE REST OF THE REST OF THE CONOMI ISLANDS! ARLONG HAS BEEN DEFEATED!" A number of Cocoyashi locals cheered as they raised their weapons in the air, the other villagers from their island hugging one another and laughing merrily, sometimes even hugging a New Cook Pirate or one of the Straw Hat Pirates. Some excited villagers had even run to the rubble to grab on of the many flags flying the Arlong Pirate Jolly Roger as proof of their defeat.

"NAMI!" a voice that neither Nami nor Nojiko had heard in a long time shouted. Both of the sisters' heads snapped in the direction where the voice came from and saw Alvida, Gin and a number of New Cook Pirates escorting a bruised, yet living Bell-mère from the other side of the courtyard.

"MOM!" the two sisters cried out as they rushed to their mother. There were tears in practically everyone's eyes as they watched the happy reunion of the small family.

"My brave, brave little girls," the purple-haired woman whispered into the hair of her two daughters before kissing them on the tops of their heads. "I'm so sorry. Mommy's so sorry." Neither Nojiko nor Nami had words to say in rebuttal, as they were too busy crying their eyes out, relieved to see their mother safe at last after so many years.

"Young man, thank you. Thank you for protecting my Nami and helping her free us," Bell-mère said to Luffy who was standing not too far from his navigator, a broad smile on his face, happy to know that he could help his navigator.

"She's going to be my queen one day," he stated with a grin as he crossed his hands behind his head. "Of course I would help her. Her family is my family, and my nakama are her nakama."

"LET'S CELEBRATE THE LIBERATION OF CONOMI ISLANDS!" a voice cried out, followed by resounding shouts of approval.

* * *

For well on into the night did the inhabitants of the island and the pirates party, and party hard at that. Nary a belly was not full after that night, as practically everyone had gorged themselves in celebration, most of the food being prepared by the Straw Hat Pirates chef and served by his sister and the entirety of the New Cook Pirates along with Pearl who was probably the most affable of all the servers. Not only were they a liberation force of pirates, but they were damned good connoisseurs of hospitality. Alvida and Zoro had proceeded to drink a number of the inhabitants under the table in great drinking contests, the two finally duking it out and ending in the former's favor by a mere cup of rum. Usopp and Gin meanwhile had regaled the villagers of the island with the tales they knew thus face, the former telling of the battle against the infamous Black Cat Pirates and 'Thousand Plans' Kuro while Gin recounted the horrific tale of how the former Krieg Pirates were easily squashed on the Grand Line by one man.

Throughout it all, five key people seemed to be missing from the festivities. Nami had at the start of celebration made a beeline for the tattoo artist and dragged him off to his store, her sister in tow. She was going to get her Arlong Pirate Jolly Roger brand removed and replaced with a new tattoo in honor of her mother, surrogate father, sister and her lover.

"What do you think?" Nako asked after nearly an hour and a half of work. Though he was a doctor, he had worked as a tattoo artist. However it was his skills in the former occupation that were in more demand than the latter.

"I love it," Nami hummed as she held a mirror up to her left shoulder. The blue tattoo was that of a stylized pinwheel with a mikan hanging from the topmost blade while a Straw Hat rested atop it, not unlike how the Straw Hat of her captain that still rested upon her head.

"So," her sister began as she took a seat on the bed beside her sister, a sly smirk on her lips and a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Pirate Queen eh?"

"Yeah, so?" Nami asked with a raised brow, her cheeks only flushing slightly.

"C'mon, tell more about the man who captured your heart, the pirate who made the pirate hating you fall in love with him."

"Well to begin, he's a little dim."

* * *

Up at Bell-mère's home, lights could be seen dimly illuminating the building, indicating that it was currently occupied. And indeed it was, as Luffy was currently seated at the table with the two parental figures of his navigator sitting across from him, the mother currently interrogating him on his intentions towards her daughter.

"So you're asking if it's fine if you drag my daughter along with you as your navigator. Through the Grand Line no less and possibly go up against the Shichibukai, Marines and the Yonko all on your journey to find the One Piece, is that right?" Bell-mère asked a now sweating Luffy. Sure, pit him against any sleazebag of a pirate captain and he could take them on no problem. Corrupt Marine officer, no problem either. Hell, he would even consider taking on Whitebeard himself. But put him in the path of an angry mother, and boy was he sure he was going to come out of that encounter flawed and disemboweled.

"And I also want to marry her one day and make her my queen once I become Pirate Queen and have lots of children with her," he tacked on, not realizing his tact, or lack thereof, was getting him into deep trouble.

"Why the hell should I let her go with you?" Bell-mère shouted as roughly stood up, sending her chair skidding back. She wobbled a little, unused to expending so much energy as she had been imprisoned for a nearly a decade.

"Because she wants to?" Luffy answered with supreme confidence, though his eyes showed that he was questioning why Bell-mère was angry. He could not really make an assumption as, while his emotions and thoughts were deep, they were not as complex as others, belying his straightforward and blunt attitude.

The young pirate captain had not realized that the mother of his navigator was lamenting all the lost time and cursing Arlong for stealing it all away from her. But at the same time she was thankful she had not been killed and that she was still amongst the living and therefore there for her daughters, especially for her littlest daughter Nami. Time had not been kind, as it had taken her rambunctious and tomboyish little girl and replaced it with this strong, independent spitfire of a young woman. Though she was practically a stranger now, deep down, she knew that her baby girl was still somewhere there. But she was Nami now her own person, her heart belonging both to the sea and this young man sitting across from her that had given her girl something she had sorely missed, a family and hope.

There was simply no choice in the matter as it stood, no matter how much Bell-mère wanted to not believe it. With a sigh she sat back down and thread her fingers together in front of her face. She stared him down hard, hoping to at least break his will. Though he began to squirm in his seat, either from nervousness, restlessness or the quiet of it, never once did Luffy look away from her.

"You make my baby girl cry, and I will hunt you down and kill you with my bare hands," she stated with a dead pan, both threatening the young man before and giving him her permission to abscond with her youngest daughter.

"That's fair," Luffy replied with a grin. Genzo laughed from his place beside Bell-mère, knowing that he would not have to make his own threat known as the woman to his left had stolen straight from his lips.

* * *

When first afternoon approached, heralded by the sun hanging high in the sky, the Straw Hat Pirates, who were gathered at the mikan grove on Bell-mère's lands, found themselves approached by a group of Marines.

"Who are you guys?" Luffy questioned once the contingent of Marines halted and stood at attention behind a man he assumed was their commanding officer.

"I am Captain Nezumi, Commander of the Sixteenth Branch. Is this the home of-"

"Luffy, I've heard about this guy," Sanji interrupted as he took a drag of his cigarette. "From what I heard he was accepting bribes from Arlong to suppress any information about the situation here. Going from there, it's more than likely had he not been in charge, Marine Headquarters would have stepped in deal with this." That was enough for Luffy, as he was not one to let corrupt Marines run amok and sully the name of Marine Headquarters. He stepped forward, his now returned Straw Hat shadowing his eyes.

"N-Now, now," Nezumi stuttered as he slowly took a step back, fearfully of the crew of more than likely pirates looking to turn him into mincemeat. "Let's be reasonable here."

A very quick, very one sided fight, if it could even be called that, occurred, the Marines left as nothing more than piles of bruised and twitching limbs.

"You make sure when you report us to Marine Headquarters that I have a threat they should take seriously," Luffy growled as he hoisted Nezumi up scruff of his uniform. "Should there ever be an island living under the tyranny of a pirate, be they a Shichibukai, or under the thumb of a corrupt government official that we come across, I promise that I will kick the ever living hell out of those responsible. And if there any cover ups, they will be blown to smithereens as I will personally see to it that the truth is spread to every corner of the world. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"

"HHHHHIIIIIIII!" Nezumi cried as he nodded his head before he has tossed back roughly. He and his men then sped off quickly for their galleon, intent on coming back with reinforcements to exact revenge on this island.

* * *

"We've decided to join you Luffy-aniki," Johnny told the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates as he and Yosaku climbed aboard the _Going Merry_.

"Welcome aboard," Luffy replied with a grin, happy to know that his crew was growing bigger and bigger.

"Don Luffy."

"Hmmm?" Luffy hummed curiously as he leaned over the rail and stared down at Gin. "Yeah?"

"How do you feel about us New Cook Pirates sailing with you to the Grand Line?"

"Do you guys think you can handle it this time around?"

"We're all a little stronger than we were before," the captain of the New Cook Pirates boasted. "Besides, we've following the next Pirate King on his journey to claim One Piece. A kings gotta build an army."

"You guys don't have to you know?"

"But we want to Don Luffy," Gin corrected with a smirk.

"Suit yourselves," the young pirate captain shrugged. He then turned back to his navigator who had finished checking over their stock while assigning their two newest recruits their position on board. "Ready to go?"

"Aye Captain Luffy," Nami teased with a grin. She yelped in surprise when he wrapped a hand around her waist and led her to the stern of the ship. They passed by the kitchen which now had three of the mikan trees from her mother's grove, that her mother had parted with as a going away gift, planted on top. As their ship slowly increased the distance between them and Cocoyashi Village, the two of them could be seen waving goodbye to Nami's home. She had tears streaming down her eyes as she did so, the realization of leaving her mother and sister behind for a long time finally sinking in along with their parting words.

"I love you baby girl."

"I love you little sis."

"I LOVE YOU SIS! I LOVE YOU MOMMY!" she cried out as she waved even harder. "I WILL SEE YOU ALL AGAIN!"

Back at the pier a crying Bell-mère was holding a crying Nojiko, while both of them were being held by a crying Genzo. In fact everyone back at Cocoyashi was crying their eyes out, with the men doing their best to hold back what they called manly tears.

"What was that for?" Nami asked as she broke away from her second ever passionate, full on tongue, kiss with her lover.

"Because I promised your mother I'd never let you cry," he stated simply before leaning down for another kiss.

"SHE'S FINALLY YOUR GIRLFRIEND RIGHT?" Zoro shouted from his position in the crow's nest beside Kuina. He paused for a second and turned just in time for the paper fan to smack him in the face.

* * *

Indeed Nezumi did return with reinforcements about a week later. Though when he reappeared on the docks of Cocoyashi in cuffs and very, very bruised, a number of villagers were startled. The reason why they were startled was because of the fact that Garp the Fist was currently leading the shackled Marine from the docks after requesting to meet the leader of this particular village.

"What can I do for you Vice-Admiral Garp?" Genzo asked once he met with the Vice-Admiral, Captain what he assumed to be a Commodore. The actions of Garp surprised everyone, as he got on his knees, and bowed his head in apology, the other Marines with him and the bound Nezumi following his example, even though Nezumi was more or less roughly shoved into the dirt by Garp's hand.

"For all the suffering that all each and every one of you has suffered this past decade, I can only humbly apologize on behalf of Marine Headquarters. We as Marines are sworn to protect the innocent from all forces that would harm them, including pirates. Yet we have failed you due to the corruption of one of our own. Because of that you had to suffer. I can only apologize that it was not us that could have saved you instead of my grandson."

"Grandson?" a voice he had not heard in a long time asked. Garp's eyes snapped up to gaze upon a woman who had formerly been a Commander before her early retirement.

"Bell-chan?" Garp asked as he rose to his full height.

"It's Bell-mère, Garp," the mother of Nami grumbled with crossed arms, her cigarette clenched tightly in her teeth. "So that Monkey D. Luffy kid was your grandson was he? I oughta beat you senseless for raising a boy like that. You know he stole my baby girl away from me?"

"Oh! Is it an orange haired girl named Nami?" Garp asked excitedly. Everyone facefaulted at his rather exuberant nature.

"Yeah, how'd you guess?" She shrieked in fright when Garp pulled her into a bear hug.

"Welcome to the family Bell-chan! My no good pirate of a grandson and your girl are getting married!"

"YEAH, YEAH WE KNOW!" Bell-mère snarled as she tried to break free of Garp's insanely tight hug. "WOULD YOU STOP HUGG- OH C'MON?! STOP FALLING ASLEEP AT RANDOM!" Once more everyone unaccustomed to Garp's antics facefaulted while sweatdropping. Helmeppo and Coby merely sighed while the shook their heads in exasperation.

"Got the smelling salts?" Coby asked as they approached Garp.

"Yep," the blonde replied as he pulled out a small box and opened the lid.

"Think he'll punch us for doing this?" the pinkette idly commented as he took a pinch of salt.

"Most likely," Helmeppo shrugged.

"Bring it on."

* * *

 **AN: Garp and Brooke are two of the characters that really sell One Piece. So when Brooke finally does show up, be ready for a lot of skull jokes that will surely tickle your funny bone. Ah! But I don't have flesh to tickle! Skull joke! YOHOHOHOHOHO!**

 **Little one sided? Eh, its East Blue. Just wait until the Grand Li- I mean wait until after the Arabasta Arc for non one sided fights. Yeah they are kind of over powered right now aren't they?**

 **Index!**

 _ **Gomu-Gomu no**_ ** _no Inazuma Jūdan (Gum-Gum Lightning Railgun Shot)_**

 **For some reason when I put lightning and railgun together, two words that are Engrish, you know what I'm talking about, I got Inazuma. Even though Inazuma translated back means lightning. Ah well, whatever.**

 **Will Garp ever stop falling asleep at random? Will Zoro ever stop getting hit by that paper fan? Will we ever see what's under Sanji's hair?!** **Stay tuned for next week's exciting chapter to find out!**


	9. Chapter 9 Across the World

**AN: 申し訳ありません.**

* * *

Odyssey of the Will of 'D'

* * *

Chapter 9

Across the World

* * *

At Marine Headquarters located on Marineford in Paradise, nearly the entirety of the base abuzz with activity as was the norm for the brains of the operations of all Marines throughout the world. New recruits were being trained as was tradition in the ways of swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat and marksmanship. Those that had passed were taking lessons on the structuring of the Marines and its vast history, detailing the highlights of the past century in particular. Flotillas and fleets were being deployed on tours or patrols throughout Paradise or the New World or going to the Branches in the Four Seas carrying their much needed reinforcements and relief. Some ceremonies were going on promoting Marines to their next rank. Other Marines were retiring from their shifts and returning to their on-base homes that housed their families. In the areas that were unrestricted for the civilian families one could see children laughing and playing while mothers gossiped to one another.

* * *

"Did anyone report that Admiral Kuzan has gone out for a ride?" a Marine Ensign on guard duty asked his partner.

"I'll phone it in," the woman to his left, an Ensign Katherine, sighed as she pulled out her Den-Den Mushi. "Man, I wonder who's going to get stuck with sanitation duty for this."

"They could end up with having to clean up after Fleet Admiral Sengoku's goat," Ensign Richard predicted with a laugh.

"Rick," the brunette sighed beside him before grabbing his nose and twisting it.

"Apples! Apples!"

* * *

"Next!" a topless mountain of a man shouted, seven Marine Captains lying around him with bruises. A few Marines took a step back, fearful of taking on the Admiral Sakazuki.

"HHHYYYYAAAA!" a female Captain roared as she charged. Once she was close enough she ducked under the punch aimed at her head and spun around him and looped her arms under his pits and attempted to life him.

"WEAK!" the Magma Man shouted as he rolled forward and slammed the woman on her back, breaking her hold on his body. He then reared his hand back to punch her in the face, but was pleasantly surprised when rolled forward away from him. And luckily she did, as his fist broke through the training mat. The Captain soon climbed back to her feet, sweating heavily and breathing hard. A smirk came to the Admiral's face when he saw the fierce look in her eyes, a look he wanted to drill into every single one of his subordinates.

He then fell back into a ready stance and beckoned to her and the other Marines, his eyes steely and lips in a thin line.

"COME!"

* * *

"Admiral Kizaru, your eleven o'clock appointment is here, Sir," a Marine Chief Petty Officer announced as he snapped off a crisp salute.

"Send him in," Borsalino, a rather tall man dressed in a yellow pin-striped suit drawled as he read over an After-Action Report on an operation in the South Blue. At least fifteen injured and two dead, one of them being the third of five brothers to die in the line of duty in that particular Sea. He would have to write up a report to have the other two sons, one stationed in West Blue and the other in North Blue, reassigned to Marineford instead for a safer assignment.

"Sir, it's a woman."

"Ooh?" he inquired as the sun reflected off of his yellow shades.

"Yes sir, it's your sister."

"Come again?" he asked as he rubbed the stubble on his chin. How on earth had he missed that on his schedule? "My sister? How long has she had this appointment set in advance?"

"Your sister has been on the schedule for nearly a month, Sir."

"A month?" Oh, he was so going to have Ensign Yubi on sanitation duty for the next month for not notifying him of this properly. He could have used the excuse to see Sentomaru, bug Sakazuki or go on a tour throughout Paradise.

"Yes sir?" Now he was sweatdropping.

"Damn," Borsalino sighed as he dropped his head to his desk and banged it several times. Boy did he hate dealing with his sister.

"ONII-CHAN!"

"Goddammit."

* * *

The Fleet Admiral was of course looking through mountains and mountains of documents as was his usual routine ever since taking the position from the previous Fleet Admiral, Kong. He sighed as he wrote off on a requisitions form for more soap for the Marines on Muddy Island.

"Approved," he muttered as he signed off on it, then stamped it and filed it into the correct pile.

"Request denied," Sengoku grumbled as he signed off on the denied line, lifted a small stamper and pressed down, letting the red ink seep in before lifting once more and staring down at the red 'DENIED'. He then sighed as he passed the paper into is corresponding pile.

"Approved." Stamp. File.

"Approved." Stamp. File.

"Approved." Stamp. File. "Denied." Stamp. File.

"Approved." Stamp. File. "Approved." Stamp. File.

"Denied." Stamp. File. "Denied." Stamp. File.

"Finally done with the requisition files," Sengoku sighed as he pulled up his Den-Den Mushi and rung up his personal assistant. "Master Chief Lori."

"Yes Fleet Admiral?" came the almost bubbly reply from his personal assistant.

"Get me some Rice Crackers and Oolong Tea please."

"Right away sir." A click followed signaling the end of the conversation.

Sengoku sighed as he leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples. It was only eleven fifty-six in the morning, and he had somehow made it through that massive stack of requisition forms. Though to be frank he had spent the last ten hours cooped up in his office wading through at least five days' worth of backlog. Now all he had to worry about was going over reports from each of the Seas and then he could go off to grab a bite to eat. Maybe he could even laze about and catch an hour's worth of sleep, because only the sea knew he needed it. Without Garp back at Marine Headquarters, the place was just worlds more quiet, so much so that one could make the assumption that they were on the wrong island, as Garp's boisterous laugh and antics had been a mainstay of the island for nearly half a century.

"Your rice crackers and tea, sir," the Master Chief stated after she had knocked on the door. Sengoku called for her and dismissed her once she had set down the tray, thanking her before she had passed the threshold.

The aging Fleet Admiral decided to start with the status reports from the Branches in East Blue first, as he felt he would be able to get through those fastest as that sea was the most peaceful of all the Four Seas. That was relatively speaking, because there were still incidents of pirate raids, uprisings and Sea King attacks, but compared to the other Four Seas it was barely a tenth of the incidents in the others. The reports from East Blue numbered only in the double digits, and usually never going higher than seventy or so, while the reports from the other three seas were usually in the mid-range for the triple digits.

"Shells Town… What?" Sengoku read again, his eyes scanning the document before him. That explained why Garp had left Marine Headquarters, he was going on a tour through the East Blue. But to find out that a Marine Captain was abusing his power while residing in a peaceful town? Were it not for the fact that Morgan had been defeated-

"MONKEY D. LUFFY?!"

"Is everything all right Fleet Admiral?" his Den-Den Mushi spoke up, his secretary's voice carrying through.

"Carry on Master Chief, I'm fine," Sengoku replied, running his left hand through his afro.

"Of course, sir."

Sengoku sighed as he rubbed his eyes before focusing on the report.

This was bad. That loose cannon of a young man running amok in East Blue was certainly asking for trouble, what with his heritage and strength. He had remembered the youngster running around Marine Headquarters a few years back and had hoped that he would turn out to be a Marine of renown much like his grandfather.

Boy, was Sengoku mistaken on that part.

They had ignored his declarations of becoming a pirate, believing that Garp would be able to pound some sense into his head and make him a Marine the people of the world could look up to in this age of pirates.

More than likely Garp was hot on his grandson's trail, hoping to redeem himself for letting Luffy do as he pleased as a pirate. Maybe his old friend could convince Luffy to become a Marine, or maybe even a Shichibukai if there was an opening. Whatever the case, Sengoku only hoped that Garp found his grandson soon and punished him, before another man bearing 'D.' rocked the world.

"Let's see… Branch Two-Five… Orange Town." He hummed as he looked over the report. So far the town had begun to rebuild after having been damaged by the antics of one Buggy the Clown and his Buggy Pirates. Apparently, the saviors were an unlikely bad of pirates lead by- "This can't be happening," he groaned as he saw that it was Monkey D. Luffy coming in to save the day with four crewmates backing him up. Garp had apparently just missed them, but once he had the trail he set sail to follow them to Gecko Islands. The paper attached to the report drew his attention, as it was generally used for bounty posters.

With growing dread Sengoku flipped the paper and confirmed his fears. Monkey D. Luffy had a bounty now on his head, one vastly larger than any pirate currently in the East Blue. He had an inkling that the Vice-Admiral had posted the bounty, as only a handful of people knew the true capabilities of that young man. Sengoku was not surprised that it said 'Alive' however, as he knew that Garp had a chance of changing Luffy's allegiance so long as he did not cross the World Government or harm any civilians.

"Branch Three-Seven… Nothing to report…. Branch Five-Eight… Captured 'Six Sided' Spiel eh? 'Claims to have been defeated by a rubber-' what is that kid doing?" he grumbled to himself as he slid that paper into the 'Read' pile.

"Branch Four-Two… Transfer of prisoner… 'Thousand Plan' Kuro into holding cells from the custody of Vice-Admiral Garp? Faked his death by tricking Captain Morgan with a body-double. Hid in Syrup Village posing as a butler and planned to kill Kaya of the Albatross family and inherit her fortune. Defeated by Monkey D. Luffy." Sengoku released a sigh as he leaned back in his chair and scrubbed his face. He did not know how to feel about Luffy's antics so far in the past month he had reappeared in East Blue.

On one hand he was a pirate, and all pirates were known to be scumbags who were part of raiding parties, human trafficking circles and illegal arms deals, save for a few he knew. But at the same time, Luffy was doing a more admirable job than the Marines of East Blue. He now had a proverbial egg on his face because of that, as the Marines were supposed to the keepers of the peace, not pirates.

Cracking open the package of rice crackers, the Fleet Admiral rummaged around in the bag before pulling one out and munching on it before continuing through the files. "Branch One-O-Five… Sea King reported in the vicinity… Non-hostile, no deaths… Branch Two-Nine… Transfer of the prisoner 'Pirate Admiral' Don Krieg into holding cells from custody of Vice-Admiral Garp. Planned to sail to the Grand Line a second time after being defeated by Shichibukai Dracule Mihawk initially. Defeated by the navigator of the Straw-Hat Pirates, Nami of Cocoyashi." He bit into his third rice cracker and tossed the file onto the pile, no longer surprised that Luffy was seemingly going around and cleaning up East Blue. It was his home after all.

He hummed to himself as he sipped his tea and remembered how Luffy's definition of a pirate was fundamentally different than the world's definition. The young man had defined the life of a pirate as endless partying, dancing, drinking and having a merry good time with his crewmates and going on adventures. Sakazuki, ever the true believer in 'Absolute Justice', had harshly questioned whether or not Luffy's adventures including burning down town, killing innocent people, torturing people for treasure, laying waste to Marine ships and toppling the government.

Luffy, ever brave, even in the face of an intimidating person such as Sakazuki, had plainly stated that he had lived through a town being set on fire with innocent people being killed left, right and center and that he had no desire to see that happen to anyone else. He would never torture anyone, because that's just not right and he respected the Marines too much because they were protecting those that could not defend themselves. On the topic of the government he had stated if a government was detrimental to the well-being of the people it deserved to be toppled and replaced with a better one.

The Admiral had growled at the answers, holding his tongue as he had realized that every single counterpoint of the boy was honest and in line with 'Justice', even if it leaned more to 'Moral Justice' than 'Absolute Justice' to his chagrin.

From then on, the fiercest of the three Admirals had a grudging respect for the boy, even going so far as to train him. Kuzan and Borsalino also had a minor hand in the boy's training as well, the former working on his endurance, as Sakazuki had taken up his strength training, while Kizaru had taken on Luffy's speed training. It was funny to watch a kid trying to catch a man who could move at the speed of light.

But the way Luffy had defined being a pirate somewhat matched that of a man he once knew. A man who loved his crewmates so much that he would destroy anyone who dared to insult them, who partied hard into the night, filling the seas with the sounds of laughter and merriment, who desired above all else to be free to do as he please, as evidenced by his refusal to ally with 'Golden Lion' Shiki. He was fearful what that meant, as the life of that man, Gol D. Roger, was spent turning the world on its head and breaking all conventions. Even his death had shaken the foundations of the world, as he had revealed to the masses that if they wanted his treasure, they could have it so long as they found it at that place.

As his eyes scanned over the documents, he allowed himself to mull over that legendary treasure he spoke of, the One Piece. From what he knew personally, it was a dangerous artifact of some kind, capable of toppling the World Government itself and plunging the world into war if it were ever revealed. Sengoku knew it was not a weapon, because if it were then the Gorosei and Tenryūbito would not be so adamant about it being lost to history, as he heard whispers that the top dogs of the World Government were planning on reviving the ancient weapons in hopes of quelling the Golden Age of Piracy, even if it meant killing millions of innocent civilians in the pursuit of that goal, something he as Fleet Admiral wanted to avoid at all costs.

That left only one possibility, and the most logical of all: the One Piece was a Poneglyph detailing the truth of the Void Century, information so dangerous that, should it be revealed to the world, would topple the World Government, destroy the Gorosei and call for the heads of the Tenryūbito. It only made sense, as, after reading the After Action Report on the Ohara Incident, even mentioning the name of the kingdom the ancient twenty kingdoms, now known as the World Government and Tenryūbito, had fought and destroyed was warrant enough to be executed on the spot by order of the Gorosei. It made all the more sense why there was such a massive bounty on a child.

Nico Robin. The Demon Child of Ohara worth seventy-nine million Beri.

Though personally he had nothing against her, as a good soldier he had to follow orders, and those orders meant the death of the only survivor of the Ohara. From the few incident reports with her name in them, he had surmised that all she was doing was trying her best to survive in this unforgiving and harsh world. But for the last five years she had been laying low, nary a whisper reaching anyone's ears concerning her. He only hoped that she would stay hidden, away from the world and the hidden potential of the Poneglyphs and live out a secluded, yet happy, life in obscurity. But he knew with Luffy running around in the East Blue, and soon the Grand Line, as at the end of it was his dream, One Piece, he would eventually run into her and more than likely recruit her, and not because of her ability to read Poneglyphs.

No, Luffy would recruit her simply because he could see the good in people despite the shadows that rested upon his shoulders as evidenced by his kind nature.

Four months ago, he had seen Luffy packing his things for his yearly return to his home village to celebrate his birthday with those he loved. But the amount he had packed was more than usual, setting red flags off in his head when he saw that. He had questioned Luffy on whether or not he was deserting the Marines, to which Luffy had replied that he never was officially made a Marine. Before Sengoku could angrily retort, the young man had continued on.

"All of you have my utmost respect for what you do. And while I could have been a great Marine like all of you wanted me to be, I just can't see myself standing back and letting something like the Ohara Incident, Dressrosa Coup, Flevence Extermination or the Gray Terminal Fire happen. Every single one of you guys are all great people who follow what you believe in with all your being, something I can't fault." Luffy had this great looking of sorrow on his face as he picked up his bag and passed him. "But you follow the wrong people if you allow yourself to kill innocent civilians and tell yourself that it's all in the name of peace. Not only are you lying to yourself, but you're going back on your word."

"I hope you know what you're doing Straw Hat."

"I'm doing what I know to be right."

Sengoku had no chance to reply as Luffy had already disappeared. The following morning a dinghy was reported missing from the port, but as a storm had passed through that night it had been passed off as lost at sea due to someone tying the rope loosely the day before. The entire day after Luffy had left, the Fleet Admiral had considered Luffy's words, idly wondering why Luffy thought being a pirate was the right thing to do. But as he tried to dissect his words and motives and examine them closely, he had found himself coming up short on any comprehendible conclusion. Only Luffy understood what his real motivations were for being a pirate, because despite being inspired by 'Red Hair' Shanks to become a pirate, those beliefs were the foundation, and not the house of his reason, and the world would have to wait and see what his reasons truly were for being a pirate.

"Mmmm… Branch Seven-Seven… Commodore Pudding-Pudding reporting the arrest of all personnel of Branch One-Six on the charges of accepting bribes from 'The Saw' Arlong in order to suppress reports on the status of the Conomi Islands. Further information discovered reveals that Nezumi, upon taking command of the Branch One-Six, has been meeting monthly with Arlong in order to receive a three-million Beri bribe, mostly treasure from pirate ships and merchant vessels, for the last seven years after having mutinied against the previous base commander and executing him for not attempting to parlay with Arlong.

"The Conomi Islands have, as thus, been under the tyrannical rule of Arlong and his pirate crew, the Arlong Pirates, for eight long years due to the corruption of former Marine Captain Nezumi. Reports state that nearly a week before Vice-Admiral Garp had arrived, the island had been liberated by a pirate alliance between the Straw Hat Pirates and the New Cook Pirates. The Straw Hat Pirates are named thus far: Monkey D. Luffy, Nami, Alvida, Roronoa Zoro, Momotoya Kuina, Usopp, Sanji, Reiju, Johnny and Yosaku. Eye witness reports state that before the battle, Monkey D. Luffy apologized on behalf of the Marines for allowing this nightmare to continue and that they would be quickly freed." The aging Marine sighed before leaning back once more, munching on the last rice cracker and wondering where the world was going if a pirate was apologizing on behalf of the Marines and doing their job for them. He sighed once more before leaning forward and picking up the document, resuming his reading of the presumably long report.

"A day after the destruction of Arlong Park, base of the Arlong Pirates, former Captain Nezumi and a contingent of Marines had returned to the island intent on confiscating nearly one-hundred-million Beri, a cache of money gathered by the Conomi native Straw-Hat Pirate and former Arlong Pirate, Nami, with the intent on buying her village and mother's freedom, former Commander Bell-mère, by the 'urging' of Arlong to reset the money Nami had gathered. By doing so he would ensure that Nami would stay as a member of the crew and create sea charts for Arlong, who intended to use them to conquer East Blue." Smiling to himself, Sengoku could only think that Garp would have been proud of Luffy had he been a Marine, even though he still felt proud of him regardless. But as it stood, the Fleet Admiral could only outwardly show grudging respect, while feeling the same as Garp in some respects. He could only fathom how badly a war could have gone had Arlong conquered East Blue, not only because it was Garp's home, but Dragon's as well and the home of Shank's lover, which would have led to a war between the Arlong Pirates, Red Hair Pirates, Marines and the Revolutionary Army.

It was something that had surprised the hell out of Sengoku, learning that a Yonkō had a family in such a peaceful place. He had learned it from Garp, who had learned it from Luffy after he had blabbed about Rose looking like her red-headed father. While Garp had ranted about an 'adventuring no-good lad getting little Makino-chan pregnant and then running off', Sengoku had combed through intelligence reports, piecing together the route of 'Red Hair' Shanks had taken after the Roger Pirates had been disbanded. He had discovered with a ninety percent certainty that the girl Rose was his biological daughter, but had done nothing with the intelligence, realizing that a war with a Yonkō was the last thing the Marines needed at the moment, especially in East Blue. Sengoku could deal with the fallout from the World Government if that ever occurred, as he had grown disillusioned with the machinations and paranoia of those that stood above him, Kong being the only exception.

Deciding to lock those thoughts away once more, Sengoku turned his attention back to the report and read on. "Former Captain Nezumi and his contingent of Marines were summarily defeated by the Straw Hat Pirates and issued a threat that was to be delivered to Marine Headquarters." Sengoku drew out a long sigh as he could guess what Luffy had said. "Luffy, 'Straw Hat', stated, 'Should there ever be an island living under the tyranny of a pirate, be they a Shichibukai, or under the thumb of a corrupt government official that we come across, I promise that I will kick the ever living hell out of those responsible. And if there any cover ups, they will be blown to smithereens as I will personally see to it that the truth is spread to every corner of the world.' This threat should be taken seriously, as 'Straw Hat' Luffy has already liberated three towns, an entire island chain, and defeated numerous pirate crews and two Marine Captains in order to honor this threat."

Luffy was nothing but a headache, before when they were training him in hopes of turning him into another Marine hero like his grandfather, and now when he was a pirate following what he knew in his heart to be right. He would take the world by storm the moment he began to travel the Grand Line, what with his dream of finding the One Piece and being the freest person in the world, and because of that Sengoku was going to formally increase Luffy's bounty, and his crew's as well, from seventy-five million Beri to two-hundred million Beri, something that should warn the world of the threat Luffy potentially posed.

There would also be standing orders given to all Marines to only engage the Straw Hat Pirates under the direst of circumstances, with only those ranked Captain and higher allowed to engage the young man, and only if they were backed by three other captains. It was not that Sengoku was giving him preferential treatment due to their history, but rather due to the fact the Marines could use a powerful asset like him and his crew. They could gain the alliance of numerous other people, pirates, civilians and nobles alike, with his abnormally high charisma, something the Marines were found wanting.

"Vice-Admiral Garp arrived in the Conomi Islands and formally bowed before the people of the islands as an apology for the Marines' negligence." Sengoku scrubbed his face once more and was at least thankful that this was not broadcasted worldwide, as the image of the Marines would further be tarnished as a result due to pirates being the heroes rather than the Marines.

He would need to call in the other Admirals to give them a briefing on the situation concerning Luffy, as they were some of the few people who knew the pirate's abilities. Sengoku could only imagine how massive the headache that would follow, as he could clearly predict how Sakazuki would react. Of all of the Marines, that man worried him the most, as he went to the extremes to see 'Absolute Justice' done.

* * *

Three hours after the meeting between the Fleet Admiral and Admirals a meeting was being held by all of the available Vice-Admirals. The exceptions were of course Garp as he was out in East Blue tracking down his grandson, the unknown topic of this particular meeting, and all other Vice-Admirals administering the other Marine Branches or the Grand Line Branches. Over twenty of the officers were gathered, waiting for the senior Vice-Admiral to begin the meeting.

"Good afternoon gentlemen and ladies," began a man in a purple suit with white pin-stripes, the Marine coat adorned on his shoulders. His moderately sized moustache twitched slightly as observed all of his fellow Vice-Admirals, men and women he had served alongside with over thirty-odd years. And in those thirty-odd years they had seen the fall of the man known world over as 'The Pirate King'. Now the winds of the world were stirring once more, all because of the ambitions of one young man.

"I have just received word down from up top that a new pirate and his crew have begun to cause a ruckus in the East Blue. Now this would kick up such a fuss if not for the fact that the captain leading this crew were none other than Monkey D. Luffy."

A deep murmuring spread throughout the room as all of the Vice-Admirals were indeed disturbed by this turn of events. They had all, at one time or another, met the young man and had grown to somewhat respect him for his sense of morality that so many in the world at large were lacking. They had all waved off his declarations about becoming the Pirate King, believing that Garp would pound some sense into the child or even one of the Admirals themselves. How wrong that turned out to be.

"After his altercation with former Captain Morgan of Marine Branch One-Five-Three, 'Straw-Hat' Luffy has trapesed across a fair bit of the East Blue defeating pirate crews and Marine whenever they had crossed his path. There have thankfully been no Marine fatalities thus far." A few of the Vice-Admirals grinned at that, seeing that Luffy despite becoming a pirate still had a fair bit of respect for the life of Marine personnel.

"He has currently defeated Buggy 'The Clown', worth fifteen million Beri at Orange Town, saving the inhabitants. Less a week later he had faced off against the thought to be deceased Kuro 'Thousand-Plans' a notorious pirate with a former bounty worth sixteen million Beri. Thwarting the man had thus stopped the assassination attempt of the Albatross heiress Kaya, and the destruction of Syrup Village. A report was soon filed by Vice-Commander Ensign Samuels under Commander Lieutenant Fullbody of Branch Three-Four a week later detailing a minor engagement with the Straw-Hat Pirates that ended with his ship being disabled allowing the pirate crew to make a hasty escape. The ammunition used on them has been salvaged and is now being reverse engineered by Doctor Vegapunk. Further details are in your provided dossier." Momonga paused for a moment for a few of the interested Vice-Admirals read over the information before continuing.

"A little over a week had passed since the events of Syrup Village and 'Straw-Hat' has given the bounty of seventy-five million Beri, an unprecedented starting amount for a rookie pirate, by Vice-Admiral Garp. Now we all know why this bounty was given, as we are all well aware of the strength that Monkey D. Luffy possesses. That strength has passed to his subordinates as the next pirate, 'Foul-Play' Krieg, worth seventeen million Beri, was defeated not by Straw-Hat Luffy, but by the crew's Navigator, Nami of Cocoyashi.

"Onto the matter of Cocoyashi… this is a bit of a stain upon our honor as it was later revealed that one of our own, a Captain Nezumi who is now waiting a full military tribunal, was siding with 'The Saw' Arlong, while taking bribes worth three-million Beri a month to suppress the information on the situation of Cocoyashi. 'The Saw', while having a twenty-million Beri bounty, has been reevaluated at having a thirty-five million due to the numerous reports of attacks on Marine and Merchant ships being attacked in the vicinity of the Conomi Islands. Arlong and his entire fishman crew were defeated under the combined forces of the Straw Hat Pirates and the New Cook Pirates, but it was way they were defeated by the Straw Hat Pirates that has earned the entire crew a bounty each, with Straw Hat's being given increase by over two-hundred percent."

"Two-hundred Million Beri, eh?" Yamakaji inquired around his cigar. "That's unheard of for a rookie getting that much after not even being out on the sea for a month."

"While it is a little unprecedented, 'Straw-Hat' Luffy's threat assessment warrants the bounty. The strength of each member is enough to warrant their own as well, seeing as each has trained under 'Straw-Hat'."

Attached to the dossier were ten wanted posters, one for Luffy and Nami and the rest for the crew of the Straw Hat Pirates and for another pirate. The captain and navigator's wanted poster was that of them partying hard in Orange Town, 'Only Alive' plastered below it and award for two-hundred million Beri for 'Straw-Hat' Monkey D. Luffy and seventy-five-million for 'Cat-Burglar' Nami. Each of the posters said 'Only Alive' as well, signifying the desire of the higher ups to detain the Straw Hat Pirates.

'Pirate Hunter' Roronoa Zoro's picture was of him snoring lightly, a bubble emerging from his nose, his bounty being worth ninety-million Beri. 'Blade Goddess' Momotoya Kunia's picture was of her laughing merrily with a mug in her hand, her bounty worth eighty-million Beri. 'The Mace' Alvida's picture was of her gazing serenely at the sunset, her bounty worth seventy-seven million Beri. 'Black Leg' Sanji's picture was of him with hearts in his eyes chasing after some village girls, his bounty being eighty-five million Beri. 'Pink Fang' Reiju was of her laughing behind her hand at a joke, her bounty matching that of Kuina's. 'Sword of the Left' Johnny was laughing merrily, his bounty matching 'Sword of the Right' Yosaku's thirty-million Beri. Finally, there was a picture of a long-nosed fellow laughing merrily, his picture being the missing piece to Johnny and Yosaku's. 'Sniper King' Usopp's bounty was worth seventy-million Beri.

"Oi, oi!" Vice-Admiral Dalmatian noted with a raised brow. "Should we really be giving every single one of these pirates a bounty this high for their first? This is a little unheard of you know?"

"Seeing as how their captain could give Marines below the rank of Vice-Admiral a problem, it is likely assumed that each member of the 'Straw-Hat' Pirates has enough training to give even a captain difficulty under 'Straw-Hat' Luffy's tutelage," Momonga replied. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku has thusly advised that 'Straw-Hat' Luffy be dealt with only by those ranked Captain and higher, with Captains advised to engage him in a group of four."

"Who's this last guy?" Onigumo asked as he gazed at the picture of a tanned man in a grey jacket wielding two tonfa.

"That is 'Devil Man' Gin, former First Mate of the Krieg Pirates, and Captain of the New Cook Pirates. We've received a report that Gin has allied himself with 'Straw-Hat', flying the 'Straw-Hat' Jolly Roger above their own Jolly Roger, and that he intends to sail with 'Straw-Hat' for as long as he's able to. He wasn't a credible threat in the past but being able to take down fishmen has earned him a twenty-five million bounty. We may need to keep an eye out on them."

"To think that Monkey D. Luffy has already caused a ruckus despite being out on the seas for a month," Tsuru muttered as she stared at the laughing couple on the poster. 'Garp, what exactly are you up to, chasing your grandson?'

"If he's attempting to journey on the Grand Line then we all know he's going to make port at Loguetown." A number of the other Vice-Admirals nodded their heads, all knowing the significance the island held for pirates. Not only was it the place for all ships to replenish if they were to make it to the Grand Line it was also the place Gold Roger was born and the same place he was executed.

"Who's stationed there right now?" Doberman, a heavily scarred man with tanned skin, asked, hoping that whoever was stationed at the Polestar Island Branch could deal with 'Straw-Hat' properly.

"Captain Smoker and Master Chief Petty Officer Tashigi head up the branch there, they're under my jurisdiction," Cancer, a blonde man with glasses and a scar over his left eye, replied. "I'll send them reinforcements from one of the other bases post-haste."

"I believe it's already too late for that," Momonga interjected. "Reports have stated that the Straw-Hat Pirates are only a few days away from Loguetown. Your main branch is too far away to mobilize proper reinforcements. What you need to do is notify them of containing the damage, not stopping 'Straw-Hat'. Monkey D. Luffy is not violent and won't harm civilians if he can help it, so instead put him on alert."

"Yes sir!" Cancer replied with a salute.

"I'm not sure if any of you felt it or not, but the winds of the world are stirring once more, just as they did a little less than thirty years ago when Gold Roger was alive. The Marines are the guardians of peace in the world, not some upstart pirate. We shall show him what the Marines are made of!"

* * *

"You increased the price of your paper again?!" Nami exclaimed as she stared at the quaking news-coo. "Whatever, just know that if they increase any higher, I'm not buying." She then tossed the bird a fifteen Beri coin and snatched the newspaper from bird before it flew off.

"What's wrong with the price if it's just one or two?" Usopp questioned from his spot near the rear mast. He was currently fiddling with his different shots, working on the gun powder ratio of several at once.

"It piles up after a while if you buy a newspaper once a day," the orangette complained as she began to peruse the paper.

"Why do you care? You don't need to save up one-hundred million Beri anymore."

"Now that I don't, all the money I have is my own. I'm never going to be broke again and now I can dress however fancy I want!" she exclaimed happily as she laid down on her recliner next to a sunbathing Alvida. The two of them smiled a bit when they saw a mikan offered to each of them in an extended hand courtesy of Luffy.

"Yeesh so stingy," Usopp muttered irritably as he began working on a new type of fiery-spice shot.

"The world really is becoming turbulent," Nami commented as she read the world news. "There's been a coup in Vira. The Revolutionary Army sure is becoming a hit."

"Course they are," Luffy exclaimed once he landed on the railing behind Nami and Alvida, a mikan in his hand. His fingers quickly peeled the skin off and he popped a slice into his mouth, reveling in the flavor. "Dragon and the others represent hope for those who are powerless to stop those above them from abusing them with their power. Of course, it helps that each of the Seas has a different Revolutionary Commander to help out with regional problems."

"It seems there's some trouble brewing in West Blue." Before Nami could comment further, a number of papers fell from the newspaper and scattered about on the rear deck.

"Eh? What're those? Flyers?" Luffy inquired as he jumped off the railing and made his way to the pile of papers. A few moments passed as Luffy held one of them in his hand, his eyes focused on the picture. After a while Usopp, Nami and Alvida grew concerned as they had not heard a peep from their Captain.

"WOOOHOOO! I got a bounty worth two-hundred million now!" Luffy shouted loud enough to wake Zoro up, interrupt Kuina in her training with Johnny and Yosaku and cause Reiju and Zoro to storm out of the kitchen in alarm.

"WHAAAAAAT!" Nami roared as she ripped the wanted poster from her lover's hand. She fell into his waiting hands in a dead faint after seeing that her own was seventy-five million Beri. Usopp freaked out as well once he saw his own bounty, Johnny and Yosaku freaking out only a few levels less in intensity.

Zoro and Sanji had of course started to argue between the two of them about their bounties, Reiju and Kuina simply laughing in delight as they saw the sparks fly between the two competitive men. Alvida all the while smiled as she noted her bounty before returning to her sunbathing, the wanted poster now lying on the table between the two recliners.

"Hey, Gin's got one too!" Luffy exclaimed once Nami returned to the land of consciousness. Luffy soon rocketed over to where the _Flaming Molotov_ was the flyer held firmly in his grasp. He could only imagine the look on his subordinate's face once he found out he now had a bounty worth more than his former captain's.

* * *

"To Luffy!"

"To Luffy!" another bar goer in _Party's Bar_ in Foosha Village on Dawn Island shouted as he raised his glass to toast the other resident.

"For finally getting his first bounty and finding love!"

"For finally getting his first bounty and finding love!" was repeated.

"CHEERS!"

"Those damn idiots," Woop Slap muttered to himself as he nursed his own drink.

"Oh, lighten up Woop. Just be proud he's finally begun to take the first step of his dreams. And it's nice that he's found such a pretty girl." A dark aura soon fell over her and Rouge who was there helping her behind the bar. "But if she so much as breaks Luffy's heart, she'll have me to deal with."

"Leave a bit for me, Makino-chan," Rouge replied as a metal mug was suddenly crushed in her vice like hand.

After shuddering in fright for a quick moment, Woop stared into his whiskey and muttered, "His dreams or his fate."

* * *

"Dear, look at the news." Koshiro peeled one eye open, gazing at his wife. She had interrupted his daily meditation, something she usually never did. Whatever it was must have been important enough to break his daily routine.

"Let's see," the Momotoya patriarch murmured as he received the paper from his wife. At first, he had to rub his eyes, unbelieving of the news he had seen. He soon turned pale when the reality set in.

"Roronoa Zoro! You bastard! I told you to keep my little flower out of trouble! I'll flay you alive the next time I see you!"

A few moments later a crowd of people could be heard making their way quickly to this end of his compound.

"Sensei is it true that you trained Roronoa Zoro?!" one of his students asked.

"Could you train us like him?!"

"Can I be as strong as Kuina-senpai?"

"Teach us Santōryū too!"

"Utter the name Roronoa Zoro in my presence again and I'll make you do two-thousand katas for the next month!" Koshiro roared as he grabbed his bokken and chased after the screaming, terrified students.

* * *

"To think that 'Straw-Hat' was such a dangerous person to warrant a bounty this high and special engagement recommendations," recently promoted Captain Ripper muttered to himself as he regarded the wanted poster of Monkey D. Luffy and Nami.

"It's a miracle that the damage that occurred during his fight with Morgan was focused on such a small scale," his second-in-command Lieutenant Commander Rokkaku commented as he sat down beside his commander at _Food Foo_. "It could have been much worse. And to see that entire crew now wanted with such massive bounties, and in the East Blue no less, shows how much of a threat the higher ups see them as."

"Oh, is that a picture of Luffy-nii and Nami-nee?" Rika asked when she came over to take down the two Marines orders. "Oh! They look so happy together!"

"There's wanted posters of Zoro and Kuina if you wanna see them too, Rika," Ripper offered as he pulled out two more wanted posters.

"Thank you very much!"

* * *

"The savior of our town is a wanted man!"

"Three cheers to the Straw Hat Pirates!"

"To the saviors of Orange Town!"

"To the bane of the Buggy Pirates!"

* * *

"Mistress Kaya!" The young blonde looked up from her books, wiping the exhaustion from her eyes. She had been up since dawn and had been studying the day away, even missing brunch. Her study session was interrupted by the excited shouting of her butler.

"What is it Merry?" she asked tiredly once he had made it into her study.

"It's about Usopp!"

"Is he fine? Is he alive! Please tell my love will end like this!"

"No, no! Nothing like that my lady!"

"Then what is it?!"

"Look! Usopp has a bounty now!" he explained as pulled out Usopp's bounty poster. "His friends as wel-"

"Usopp's finally begun the first steps to his dreams! I can't keep dragging my feet like this! I want him to be proud when he comes back home! Yosh, now I'm all fired up!"

"I shall support you as well Lady Kaya!"

"You can support me by getting out of my study!"

* * *

"Zeff, big news!"

"If it's that brat's and Reiju's bounties, then I already know," Zeff grumbled as he turned the sea bream over.

"Don't you wanna know how big they are though?!"

"Don't care."

"Zeff this their crowning moment!"

"If you have time to blab, then you time to cook!"

"Yessir!"

'Sanji, Reiju… Though you aren't my children by birth, I will always regard you as my own. You do me proud by stepping outside the place the two of you have called home. Carry out our dreams, my son and daughter.'

"Order up!" Zeff shouted as he plated the sea bream for the Red-Wine Demi-glazed Sea Bream Pilaf.

* * *

"Like grandfather, like grandson," Bell-mère muttered as she set down the wanted poster onto her kitchen table. "Always getting into some type of trouble one way or another."

"From the time they spent here," her other daughter, Nojiko, began as she picked up the poster and gazed at the picture, "I've never seen my little sister happier."

"Well of course, despite Garp being a complete lunkhead at times, he was always the life of the room, bringing a break to the monotony many of us used to have in the Marine Branches. He may be a high-ranking officer, but he's always done things at his own pace, never one to allow someone to dictate the path he walks in life." The former marine smirked before looking out the open window, the sight of the never-ending seas reminding her of the dreams of people, or more specifically pirates. "In truth, Garp's the closest to being a pirate in the Marines."

"How so?"

"For some people or more specifically Monkey D. Luffy, being a pirate means being free in the most literal of senses. They don't have to listen to anyone, and if they do it's only on a whim. Their reasons are their own and they don't have to explain themselves to others why they do the things they do. Of course, you and I know that Luffy has standards he follows, that's why despite him being a pirate, I can't help but respect him for being him."

"That's still not gonna stop you from kicking his ass if he makes Nami cry though is it?" Nojiko replied with a smirk as she leaned against the windowsill, the sea breeze flowing through her hair.

"Damn right it isn't," her mother responded with a matching smirk as she polished her old service rifle.

* * *

"Hey! Pops! You'll never guess what happened!"

"What's got Ace so riled up?" Jozu questioned as he bit into a piece of mutton.

"A rookie crew in East Blue got bounties for themselves and when he saw the captain and navigator's wanted bounty he flipped," Marco answered before shrugging.

"East Blue eh?" another broad-shouldered man hummed as he twirled his moustache. "Their bounties can't be worth so much, can they? I mean they are from the weakest sea after all."

"Oi, oi! Ace is from there too you know!" Blenheim interrupted. "And don't forget that Gold Roger was born there too!"

"They're the exception, not the rule," Vista replied before clicking the back of his front teeth with his tongue.

"Well apparently each of them has a bounty of their own, and this is a small crew of ten." It was unheard of for a pirate crew that small to last unless they were incredibly powerful. The fact that each of them had a bounty meant they were a force to be reckoned with.

Marco then pulled out the bounty posters for all of the Straw Hat Pirates, except for the pilfered poster of 'Straw Hat' Monkey D. Luffy and 'Cat Burglar' Nami. "All together their bounty totals at a whopping eight-hundred-seventeen million Beri."

"That much!" Izo gapped from his seat beside Marco. "How much is their captain worth?!"

"Two-hundred million Beri," Marco remarked with a bored tone as he peered over the wanted posters, his eyes zeroing in on one particular poster. 'Why does that long nose kid look familiar?'

"How long's the kid been at sea?" Jozu asked as he looked over the posters as well.

"The crew's been sailing for little over a month now from what the rumors say."

"This much for a rookie crew though?!"

"Oi, oi. That's way too much for some crew out of East Blue that hasn't even left that sea yet," Blenheim exclaimed as he guzzled down a half-pint of rum.

"Whatever the reason, Marine Headquarters is keeping a very watchful eye over the actions of the Straw Hat Pirates. Especially if they want to capture Monkey D. Luffy alive."

* * *

"See Pops! I told you my little brother was gonna make it big! He's even found himself a hot dame too!" Ace proclaimed as he shoved the bounty poster in his adoptive father's face.

Edward Newgate grunted a little bit as he snatched the paper from his son, ignoring the blabbering the kid was doing over his little brother. While he could sympathize a little with Ace feeling proud for his sworn brother, there was only so far pride could go before it morphed into something dangerous. Blocking out that thought, Whitebeard turned his attention to the picture of the couple with their arms over the other's shoulder and mugs of alcohol in the other and faces frozen in jubilant celebration.

He first focused on the young man who was more than likely Monkey D. Luffy. The brat was more than likely the grandson of Garp since that surname was not commonplace. That was more than enough for Whitebeard to look a little closer into the young man. But it was that Straw Hat that drew his attention. Over two and a half decades ago he had last seen that on the head of that Red Hair brat. A decade before that, when he began to sail the seas, he had seen that hat upon the head of the only person he ever considered a rival, and dare he think, a friend. To think that same hat had made it onto another pirate dreaming of finding One Piece and becoming the Pirate King, at least according to Ace.

The girl beside him drew a somewhat cursory glance from the Yonkō, only because for a split second he had seen another young couple take their place for but only a moment. Of course, one of them was executed about some twenty odd years ago. The other, well, he was not truly sure what had happened to Portgas D. Rouge.

In any case, Edward Newgate could feel the winds of change already stirring once again. About a month ago he had felt the winds of the world, especially those in Paradise and the New World, stirring more turbulently. When he was much younger, he had felt this same feeling and that feeling had lead him to coming across Gol D. Roger. Whitebeard smiled to himself before laughing out loud, believing he had more than likely found the man that would inherit the Will of D.

"Gurarara!"

"What the hells so funny Old Man?!"

* * *

"Huh? What's that ship?"

"Ah! It's Dracule Mihawk's ship!"

"Quick, someone notify Captain Shanks!"

One of the lowly crewmembers quickly scurried off, doing his utmost not to stumble like the hungover pirate he was. Generally, whenever Hawk-Eye dropped in, it was either to fight with the Yonkō, though that was becoming rarer these days, or just exchange stories between the two of them. Hopefully it was the latter, as the captain was currently a little hungover right now, even if that meant absolutely nothing to two hardened combatants such as Shanks and Mihawk.

"C-Captain!"

"What is it? Can't you see that I'm in a bad mood," the redheaded man growled as he held his head in his head.

"Don't you Red Hair Pirates do anything other than party the days away?" a monotone voice inquired.

"Not when one of our own has set sail on his own, we don't!" Lucky Roo replied as he tore into a piece of ham on the bone.

"Monkey D. Luffy set sail a month ago."

"And it's been a month long of on and off partying!" came Shanks groggy comeback.

"Well now you have more reason to party," Mihawk stated as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out nine wanted posters. Two of them he then tossed, one to Shanks, the other to Yasopp. "You'll never believe who caught the attention of the World Government and the Marines."

"Luffy…" Shanks muttered with a sentimental smile on his face, glad that Luffy had finally begun the first steps of his journey to find the One Piece. 'And just like Captain Roger he found a spitfire. Let's hope their story doesn't end in heartbreak too.'

'So, you've found you sea legs my boy,' Yasopp thought with a melancholy smile on his face as he reclined on his side. He was glad that his son was doing well for himself and had made friends. While a part of him was depressed about the news that his wife had died, there had been nothing he could have done at the time due to all of the Red Hair Pirates dealing with Kaidō and Big Mom's antics in the New World. Yasopp could at least take solace in the fact that his son was now walking beside the person who would more than likely find the One Piece.

"Now that you're here Hawk-Eye, I can't very well let you leave now."

"I suppose I can kill a day or two partying with you damned louts." Mihawk then sat down right beside Mihawk and accepted the offered drink. He stared at it, then Shanks as the man kept pouring more and more into it until it was nearly filled to spilling. "Rose and Makino send their regards and are wondering when you're going to drop in again."

"Ah! That's right! Rose-chan's birthday is soon! Sorry guys, I gotta beat it!" Shanks shouted as he jumped up off his stump and made his way to the shore to grab a rowboat.

* * *

"We have a problem."

"What is it?"

"Not what, but whom."

"Who's the problem Kalifa?"

"It's Monkey D. Luffy."

"Who?"

"He was a trainee at Marine Headquarters for a few years. They planned to commission as an Ensign the moment he turned eighteen."

"So?"

"Not only did Vice-Admiral Garp, his grandfather, train him, but so did the three admirals and a number of Vice-Admirals. He's been trained in the Rokushiki and has a very firm grasp on both _Busō-shoku no Haki_ and _Kenbun-shoku no Haki_.

"This could become a problem for us in the future if he crosses our path… Or it may be a boon if we play our cards right."

"Whatever the case, we must remember our goal here is to recover the blueprints for Pluton."

"For Justice."

"For Justice."

* * *

"So, we're heading to Loguetown next right? The town of beginnings and endings?" Alvida asked as she walked to the fore of the _Going Merry_.

"The birthplace of Gol D. Roger and the place where he was executed and ushered in the Golden Age of Pirates. It's also the last major port town and major resupply point for everyone in East Blue if they want to reach the Grand Line."

"You seem pretty excited Luffy," Nami remarked from behind the figurehead where her captain was currently splayed out on.

"Of course! It's like praying at a shrine before a big event! I'm gonna kick off my adventure to the Grand Line with a pilgrimage to the Execution Stand."

"What's a shrine?" Alvida asked as she turned to Nami. The orangette shrugged her shoulders, having never heard of such a thing before.

"It's a type of temple that the people of some cultures go to pray to deities for their grace and guide them to success, be it in business, love or life," their captain idly explained as he covered his face with his hat and lounged on ram's head.

"Anymore interesting tidbits of random information?" his navigator groused with a sigh.

"Akuma no Mi taste like crap. The Gomu-Gomu no Mi I ate tasted like someone threw up on a rotten piece of meat and crapped on it."

Both Nami and Alvida made a face at that, the two of them covering their mouths and greening quite a bit. Though Alvida had eaten an Akuma no Mi, that did not mean she needed to relive taste once more, even if hers tasted of a different raunchy variety.

"Stop with the stupid shit already!" Nami shouted as smacked Luffy with her Clima-Tact. Their helmswoman merely bopped him on the head with the butt of her mace as retribution. Their captain all the while laughed merrily at the love taps he received.

"To Loguetown!"

* * *

 **久しぶりだな!**


	10. Chapter 10 The Town of Beginnings and En

**AN: Gods have sucks hax abilities.**

* * *

Odyssey of the Will of 'D'

* * *

Chapter 10

The Town of Beginnings and Endings

* * *

"Five Nautical Mile marker for Loguetown has been spotted," Kuina announced once she brought down the binoculars from her face.

"How's our heading Alvida?" their Quartermaster questioned the Helmswoman as she looked over the sea charts before her. Though it was early in the morning, Nami had woken up early with Kuina and Alvida to continue the journey to Loguetown. Since leaving Cocoyashi Village in the Conomi Islands the pirate crew had begun the long arduous journey to the Grand Line. A week and a half had already passed and while they stopped every now and again to resupply, they could not afford to waste time due to the fact the Marines could be sending ships after them at any moment.

"Course held at one-nine-nine," Alvida responded. "No deviations within the last hour to our course." Rather than take an indirect route they had chosen to take a direct route over last leg of their journey to keep on time.

"Keep at this course and we should be to Loguetown a hour or two till noon if we're lucky," Nami spoke as she chartered the course all of them had taken since Shells Town.

"Did Reiju already draw up the list of supplies we need to acquire?" Kuina asked from her spot in the crow's nest.

"It's a few hundred-thousand Beri more than I would have liked, but we'll need those supplies to make it to one of the first islands on the Grand Line."

'So stingy,' Yosaku thought to himself as he practiced a little with his _Busō-shoku no Haki_ and attempted to coat his dadao with it. He and Johnny had been begun training under Luffy, along with every other member of the crew, in not only strength, endurance, speed and reaction time, but in the _Rokushiki_ and in _Haki_. So far Johnny and Yosaku had been lagging compared to the other Straw-Hat members. That was not to say that they were not strong, far from it. When they had fought those fishmen at Arlong Park a week ago they were surprised that the little training Luffy had instilled in them was enough to tip the balance in their favor, even if it was against foot soldiers, they were still fishmen, a species touted to have ten times more strength than a full-grown man.

Yosaku and Johnny, being the newest of the Straw Hat Pirates, were considerably weaker compared to the other members despite Sanji and Reiju joining after them. Those two were freakishly strong just like Zoro and Kuina when they had first met the swordsman and swordswoman duo those five years ago. Of the special training that they were receiving under Luffy, many of them could agree that the _Haki_ training was the most useful, despite the fact the _Rokushiki_ and all the other training regimes were needed to balance them properly according to Luffy. He had of course admitted this was the best he could do to train them, as he was no swordsman, sharpshooter or specialist in any sense. He was however very good with a pipe though as displayed when he took on Kuina and Zoro _at the same time_ and held his own.

''Sword of the Right' has a nice ring to it, even though I wonder why Johnny's named 'of the Left' despite being right handed.'

* * *

"Are you sure you two will be fine in the meantime?" Luffy asked while Alvida leaned her elbow on his shoulder. Reiju and Sanji had headed over to the fish markets to peruse the morning's catch so far in hopes of finding food to add a variety to their current stock. Usopp had been roped in to help them as well and would be released to explore the island once he brought the stock back to the ship. Zoro had wandered off by himself to find a weapons shop to rearm himself so he could properly utilize his _Santōryū_. Johnny would be the first to take watch over the ship while Yosaku would explore the island for a while, and then the two would rotate. Of course, since there was a Marine Base in the town the would have to not fly their flag while also doing their utmost to keep a low profile.

The New Cook Pirates meanwhile were docked not too far away from them, only a few of the crew disembarking since they did not have as much a reason to visit Loguetown compared to the Straw Hat Pirates. They also planned to depart from the port once their resupply was done and contact the _Going Merry_ if there were any problems ahead of their last leg to Reverse Mountain. Gin was one of those few who had decided to depart and explore the town, though the reason why he had done so was his own.

"We'll be fine Luffy. The two of us know how to be anonymous, unlike you and Zoro," Nami teased while Kuina giggled behind her hand.

"What's anonymous mean?"

"It means to appear like a face in the crowd, undescriptive, unknown," 'The Mace' supplied for her captain.

"Oh, well why didn't you say so?" the raven-haired young man questioned.

"I swear," Nami muttered as she held her head. She sighed quietly before walking over to her lover and giving him a quick peck on the lips. "Don't make me regret loving you, _baka_." When she pulled back, a smile bloomed on her face along with a blush when she saw the boyish grin on his face accompanied by a blush as well. "Have fun you two."

"You too Nami, Kuina," Alvida replied as she hooked her arm with Luffy's own and walked off, waving goodbye the other two women as they left. Nami and Kuina waved back to them and turned to leave down one of the many roads leading to the shopping district. Every single one of them had ignored the murmuring coming from the other pedestrians around them.

"Did you see that?"

"Yeah, he had two women!"

"Are you sure?"

"That other woman was pretty close to him after all."

"Is he some pirate or something?"

"That's the only way to explain it."

"Do you think they're his…?"

"Maybe."

"Lucky bastard."

"I know man, what I wouldn't give to have two women."

"Women wouldn't want a weakling like you."

"That guy looked like a weakling too."

"The straw-hat that guy was wearing looked familiar, though."

"Yeah, so did his face."

* * *

"Captain Smoker!" the voice of a woman cried out as the door to his office was thrown open. The owner of said voice coughed violently for a few seconds before making a face and opening one of the nearby windows and letting the cigar smoke out. "Captain, what did I tell you about properly regulating the air in your office so others don't suffocate on their way in."

"You told me too many times to count Tashigi," her commanding officer grumbled as he discarded his two used cigars, grabbed two more from the reserves on his officer's coat and lit them before taking a long drag. "What is that you came in here for Master Chief Petty Officer Tashigi?"

"We received a message from Marine HQ with information on a new pirate crew that has been wreaking havoc through the East Blue. Orders are to not engage the crew or their captain 'Straw-Hat' Luffy." Tashigi then readjusted her glasses since they had started to slip a little on her nose. "Crew strength is registered at ten pirates with all ten members carrying bounties, the captain at two-hundred million Beri, totaling at eight-hundred seventeen million Beri."

"Oh?" Smoker asked as he offered his hand to Tashigi, the gesture asking her to hand the papers over to him. Once that was done he perused through the information provided to them by Marineford. It detailed the battle capabilities of the captain, Monkey D. Luffy, specifically his _Busō-shoku no Haki_ , _Kenbun-shoku no Haki_ , _Rokushiki_ and what his Akuma no Mi was. The orders came down from Fleet Admiral Sengoku himself that no one below Captain ranking was to engage him, and Captain were recommended to do so in groups of four. He was after all trained by Garp the Hero, several Marine Headquarters Vice-Admirals and the three Admirals.

The Straw Hat Pirates, and their subordinate crew the New Cook Pirates, would be passing by Loguetown soon on their way to the Grand Line. Smoker thought the objective handed down to him from Marine Headquarters would be to suppress the two pirate crews, he was however surprised that his objective was damage control and civilian protection instead. Headquarters had informed him, that while somewhat violent, 'Straw-Hat' Luffy had avoided involving civilians and while there were a few Marine casualties, there were fortunately no fatalities. While it was a stain upon his honor that he would allow a group of such formidable pirates go, facing down someone who could fight on par with Vice-Admirals of Marineford would spell trouble for him. Although of course seeing as 'Straw-Hat' Luffy had respect for Marines, it would not hurt to seek a simple duel with him.

"Put the garrison on alert," Smoker instructed as he rose and grabbed his Nanashaku Jitte from his weapons rack. "They are to capture any pirate crews, except for those of the Straw Hat Pirates or New Cook Pirates. Should they cross any members of those crews, they are to keep their distance and tail them while reporting back to me. Our orders from Marine Headquarters are to contain any damage that occurs during their time here."

"Excuse me sir?"

"You heard me, Marine Headquarters does not want us engaging the Straw Hat Pirates, and by extension their subordinate crew the New Cook Pirates, unless absolutely necessary. It's because 'Straw-Hat' Luffy is on par with Marine Headquarters Vice-Admirals since he was trained there by the Three Admirals and several Vice-Admirals."

"Why was a pirate trained at Marine Headquarters?! Let alone allowed to leave Marineford!"

"His grandfather was the Marine Hero after all, so it was assumed that he would become a Marine just like him."

"Marine H- You mean he's the grandson of Garp?!"

"Indeed, he is. Now carry out my orders Tashigi."

"Yes sir! Right away sir!" the blunette responded snapping off a crisp salute before exiting his office and heading off to direct the garrison of Loguetown.

''Straw-Hat' Luffy,' Smoker mused as he gazed at the picture of the laughing couple on the wanted poster. 'What exactly are you after? And why was it that you could stay so close to the heart of 'Justice' itself without reprisal.' Realizing the paper held no answers for him nor would it respond to his questioning, Smoker dropped the wanted poster onto his desk and left to perform his patrol of the town.

* * *

"Oh, that looks so cute on you!" Nami gushed as Kuina stepped out of the dressing room wearing a stylish sky-blue cocktail dress with the back cut rather low. For the past hour and a half, the two women had been bonding over their shopping trip. They had finished most of their clothing shopping for themselves and the crew and were now trying on clothes just for the hell of it. "Don't you agree?" the orangette asked the manager of the clothing shop, a man a dressed in a sharp suite with a long moustache with his hair done up in a clothes hanger.

"It suits you well ma'am!"

Kuina had unfortunately caught the glint in Nami's eye and since she was feeling a little mischievous the lookout of the Straw-Hats decided to roll with it. The blunette then began grabbing dresses left, right and center, Nami doing the same as well. They then began to try on the different sets of clothes asking for the manager's opinion, both finding it hilarious as he continued to rattle off his compliments.

"How's this?"

"It looks elegant!"

"And this?"

"Simply marvelous!"

"How about this?"

"Exquisite!"

"This?"

"Saucy!"

"And this?"

"Absolutely beautiful!"

"And this dress?"

"Stunning beyond belief!" Hanger then gestured to the piles of clothes the women had accumulated and asked curiously, "Will you be buying all of this, madams?"

"Nope! Don't need it!" Nami answered as she stuck her tongue and sauntered out with Kuina in tow. "I'd rather have clothing that's more casual."

"And is easier to move around in," her friend finished for the pair as they walked out.

"Thank you, come again!" the manager cried out as the two women vacated his place of business.

After about an hour of further loitering around, Nami and Kuina had ended up buying a veritable wardrobe. After they were done they left the store, but not before Nami walked back inside and asked for a large vinyl bag to keep the clothes dry.

"So, a storm's coming soon?" Kuina asked as the two of them continued through town.

"The air pressure's been dropping for the past few hours." Nami then looked up before turning to the east. "But it's not just that, there's something on the winds that I just can't put my finger on."

* * *

"Is that?" Sanji questioned as he and his sister pulled up to the stall holding the object in question. Setting down their supplies, the blonde let his eyes wander over the fish, silently wondering how such a find was in a place like this.

"It appears to be a Blue-Finned Elephant Tuna, Sanji," Reiju responded as she adjusted her glasses, her share of the ships supplies at her feet. The two of them were leaning down and inspecting the native South Blue fish. They were inspecting the gills since that was one of the many ways to check for freshness along with checking the sheen of the scales and eyeballs. "How it got to this sea is a mystery. It's mostly found near the Red Line border between the South and North Blue on the other side of the world near Mary Geoise."

"And it generally doesn't migrate along the Grand Line this time of year either."

"Further proof that the All Blue exists," Sanji said with a grin. "How much?" he asked, looking up at the fishmonger.

"This fresh?" the older man murmured as scratched his beard. "Three-hundred and fifty thousand Beri."

"Two-hundred thousand Beri," Reiju spoke up, attempting to haggle with the man.

"Eh? Only that much? I got some Flying Bream Fish, twenty pounds worth for you if you wanna spend that much."

"Two-hundred fifty thousand Beri then," the pinkette argued. "Sanji here is the former Baratie sous-chef and knows more than anyone else how to prepare seafood."

"Oh! You're Zeff's kids ain'tcha?"

"Ah, th-that's right. How'd you know?"

"Thought you two looked familiar," the man laughed as he reached under and pulled up a chest full of ice. "Saw your bounties a few days ago, seemed familiar. Met the two of you with Zeff every time I dropped in to give a supply of exotic fish."

"Noct Gar-oji-san!" Reiju and Sanji shouted as the both jumped up. The man laughed and grabbed the Blue-Finned Elephant Tuna, stuffed it to the chest and walked around the stall. He was then embraced by the young adults. "It's so good to see you again!"

"It's good to see you two youngsters again!" he replied as he hugged them back. After the pleasantries were done he handed them the iron chest. "Take it!"

"But what about the cost?" Reiju asked as she looked between the chest and Noct Gar.

"Don't worry about it," the dark-haired man said, waving his hand and dismissing her concern. "I was just usin' that as a display piece. Most people around these parts don't even know how to cook on the level of Zeff or his kids. Better it goes to a chef that can utilize it properly than rot away." He grinned and put a hand, halting Reiju from reaching into her pocket for her wallet. "And don't even think about trying to pay me little lady. Family don't charge family, got it?"

"Thank you, Noct Gar-oji-san!" The two siblings then grinned at each other before sauntering away together with their treasure. The sharpshooter of their pirate crew however was left to pick up their share of supplies that they left behind.

"Seriously guys?" he muttered as he picked up their portion of the supplies and threw them on top of the massive pile in his arms. "If it weren't for the strength training Luffy put us through, there's no way I'd be able to pull this kind of shit off," the native Syrup Village resident grumbled as he ambled on after his two crewmates.

* * *

"Nn?" Zoro muttered as he happened upon an odd scene. He'd been wandering around Loguetown looking for the local weapon seller. So far, he had found didlly-squat and every person he had asked directions had led him astray or confused him beyond belief. Where he had ended up was some random boulevard with two men causing a scene with a female swordswoman. One of them raised his sword to the woman, who he identified as his childhood friend. Without even thinking, Zoro flashed over to her and jabbed with upward with _Seiya Heiwa_ 's scabbard, the wood colliding with the man's lower jaw. He stood protectively in front of Kuina, waiting for the struck man to recover and regroup with his compatriot.

"Don't you know it's not nice to draw a sword on someone who's not interested in a fight?" The green-haired swordsman then drew his sword and brandished it with a flourish. "If you're looking for a fight," a near feral grin passed over his lips, the expression sending shivers down both men's spines, "I'll be your opponent then."

"Stay out of this!" That was not Kuina who just spoke, despite her standing behind him and speaking those words. He felt Kuina-doppelganger rush past him and draw her sword and easily disarm both men with a splendid display of skill while also dealing wounds to their sword arms, ensuring that they would not be able to raise a weapon for the foreseeable future. What happened next confirmed that this woman was not Kuina. She seemed to stumble over her own feet and sent herself sprawling to the paved road.

"Oi, I think you're looking for these." He had grown a little concerned when it took her more than a minute to find the glasses that had fallen off her face so had decided to help her out.

"Sorry for the trouble. Thank you for helping me," the blunette replied with a smile as she accepted her glasses and placed them back on her face. 'R-Roronoa Zoro?!'

"Nah, it's fine," Zoro waved off as he stood to his full height and offered her his hand. The blunette blushed, but accepted the extended hand anyway pulling herself up to her full height. Observing the man who was the Vice-Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, Tashigi could not help but notice how tall he was compared to her and how broad his shoulders were, especially from behind.

"I-I'm Tashigi," she introduced herself shyly. Her orders were to observe the Straw Hat Pirates and report back, not engage them in combat. Though this was not what she had in mind, it would have to do. "Why'd you step in like that?" Tashigi asked, referring to him coming to her rescue with those two pirates.

"Mistaken identity really," the green-haired man admitted while rubbing the back of his head. "Thought you were my childhood friend. She and a mutual friend of ours are shopping around here while we're in town for a little bit."

'So, they're only staying for a short duration,' Tashigi mused to herself. "Do I really look your friend?" the blunette asked innocently pointing at herself.

"Yeah, you kinda do," the Executive Officer of the Straw Hat Pirates admitted with a blush. "A-Anyway, I'm looking for a shop that sells swords, do you know where one is?"

"Would you like me to show you the way there?" She needed to keep an eye on him after all.

"Really? That helps since the people I've asked for directions have led me in nothing but circles." He followed when she walked away in the direction of the shop he needed to find.

"Maybe you have a bad sense of direction?"

"You sound like my friends."

"Then it must be true," Tashigi laughed.

"Not you too," the swordsman groaned.

"So why exactly do you need to go to the Arms Shop? Those swords at your waist look to be enough."

"Oh these?" Zoro stated as he patted _Seiya Heiwa_ and the two nameless katana on his hip. "These two right here have broken on too many occasions and I'm worried that they may not last too long. They're just simple run of the mill katana after all. Not like this one though," he said as he patted the black scabbard with a green clothed handle sticking out from it.

"So, you use three swords?"

"Something like that," her fellow sword user answered with a roguish grin. "So, are you a bounty hunter or something? Those moves aren't exactly easy to pull off."

"Something like that," Tashigi answered coyly.

"Cheeky like her too," Zoro muttered. For a while the two just exchanged small talk, neither of them caring too much about what was going on around them. Zoro had never really met someone so easy going like her, though his friends did not count as they were a little too zany. Tashigi had at one point in her task of helping Zoro find Arms Shop forgotten about her job, enjoying the pleasant company her supposed 'enemy'.

"We're here," the blunette spoke up as they stopped in front of the weapons shop. "If you could go on ahead, I need to contact a friend of mine about a few captured men. I'll be in shortly after you since my personal katana is being worked in there too."

"Take your time," the former bounty hunter said. Once he crossed the threshold he was greeted by the owner of the shop who introduced himself as Ippon-Matsu. "I'm here to sell these swords and buy replacements for them." He unstrapped the two nameless katana from his waist and laid them on the counter. "How much for them?"

"Let's take a look see," the sword smith muttered as he pulled the first katana out of it's sheathe. After five minutes of deliberation he hummed to himself and sheathed the katana back in its scabbard. He repeated the process once more and hummed again. "These two have seen much conflict. I don't think they have much life left as they are. Best to melt them down for scrap. I'll give you eighty-thousand Beri for them."

"Tch, was hoping for a little more. Well, can't help it I guess. So, what do you got for one-hundred and eighty thousand Beri then?"

"The regular market price for a katana is two-hundred thousand Beri. If all you've got is one-hundred and eighty, then all I have is those used swords in those barrels." The owner's widened a bit as he caught sight of something. "C-c-c-c-can I see that sword at your waist for a quick second?"

"What's with the stuttering old man?" Nonetheless Zoro acquiesced and handed _Seiya Heiwa_ over to the man. After a moment of quiet deliberation Ippon-Matsu told him it was a piece of junk. "What was that?" he growled.

"I lied! It's not a piece of junk! How about this? I'll buy this off-"

"No deal. I'm not parting with that sword."

"I'll give you five-hun-"

"Didn't you hear what I just said?" Zoro growled as he snatched his katana back. "I'm not selling this katana."

"Oh! That sword, it's _Seiya Heiwa_ isn't it?" Tashigi asked from beside Zoro, her eyes roaming over the sheathed sword.

"Oh, done talking to your friend?" Zoro asked as he offered his katana to Tashigi to inspect. The blunette nodded and let her gaze pass over the sheathed weapon.

"It's one of the twenty-one Ō-Wazamono in the world, their buying price beginning at one-hundred million. And you were going to buy it off him for five-hundred thousand Beri?"

"Not like I'm gonna part with this sword. The only time it'll ever leave my person is if I'm dead." He then gestured to Tashigi to give back his sword which she kindly did.

"Here to pick up Shigure ain'tcha?" Ippon-Matsu muttered as reached under his counter and pulled out a sheathed katana. "How a girl like you got a Wazamono is beyond me."

"Since you use three swords, that means you know of the bounty hunter Roronoa Zoro, right?" Tashigi asked as she followed Zoro over to the discount barrels. "He's a famous, or should I say infamous, bounty hunter that uses his swords for greedy purposes."

"Maybe he doesn't see it that way. Maybe the people that had bounties he turned in pissed him off and did something that drew his ire?" Zoro muttered as he perused through the barrel of near worthless swords.

"That can't be true, since he's now gone into a life of piracy. He must be evil."

"Pirates are evil?" Zoro questioned as he pulled up a random sword and felt the pure evil rush through his arm. "The Marines are good? You haven't travelled outside your small world to understand that not everything is black and white as you think it is."

"T-That's-"

"Put that sword down, now! It's-"

"Cursed isn't it?" the swordsman answered with a smirk. "I could feel the evil creep down my arm when I picked it up. I'll take it."

"Did I just say it's cursed?! That sword has killed its last ten owners, each death bloodier than the last!"

"Then let's see which is stronger, it's evil curse or my will and luck!" Zoro then tossed the sword in the air, waiting to see how fate would turn. Both Tashigi and Ippon-Matsu gasped and could only watch as time seemed to slow down, Sandai Kitetsu arcing closer and closer to Zoro's arm. The two onlookers were completely surprised to find out that instead of cleaving off his arm, the sword had instead passed his arm, the blunt edge of the blade gently passing over his skin. "Nice! I'll take it!"

Both Tashigi and Ippon-Matsu had collapsed backwards, not believing that such a miraculous event took place.

"W-Wait right there!" the owner cried out as he recovered and ran to the backroom to retrieve something. Once he was back he deposited a sheathed katan on a display rack onto his counter. "This is Yubashiri, one of the fifty Ryō-Wazamono. Although my store does not have much, this is the best I can give you other than that cursed sword."

"You know I don't have the money for this right?"

"I'm not asking for your money," Ippon-Matsu interjected. "And I'm not gonna charge you for Sandai Kitetsu either. I'm sincerely sorry that I tried rip you off. I had thought that you were some low-level thug that wouldn't know the value of such swords. I've never met a swordsman such as yourself. That sword really likes you since it decided to not hack your arm off. Thus, I shall also believe in you and your luck."

"Heh, thanks." Zoro then grasped the sheathe with both hands, bowed to Ippon-Matsu, as was tradition for him when receiving a katana from its previous master. "Keep what I said in mind Tashigi, okay?" With that final word of advice to the blunette he abled out and made his way to boulevard from before.

"Not all pirates are evil, huh?" Tashigi murmured to herself.

* * *

"So, this is the execution stand," Luffy muttered to himself as he and Alvida made it to the town square. For the past few hours Alvida had distracted her captain and had dragged him all over town to see some of the highlight tourist attractions. He had gone along with it, but now something seemed to be attracting him to the execution stand, like a strong otherworld force was pulling him to see this spot of land.

"Now that we're actually here, I can actually feel the weight of what happened twenty-two years ago," Alvida whispered to herself as she made her way to the execution stand with Luffy. She was completely surprised when Luffy jumped away from her up onto the execution stand. "Luffy!?"

"So, this is what Gol D. Roger saw on the day he died!" her captain exclaimed as surveyed the town square with his hand over shadowing his eyes.

"You up on the execution stand! I order you to climb down this instant or face the consequences. That stand belongs to the World Government and is a monument to the end of the Pirate King!" Before he could continue ranting on, the government official was bashed upside the head by an unknown assailant. Simultaneously, several dozen people in the crowd that gathered around the execution stand had thrown off their cloaks, one of them getting the drop on Alvida and holding her at sword point, someone had somehow gotten the drop on Luffy and trapped him with a pillory lined with kairōseki.

"Eh? W-Why can't I move at all?"

"That right there is kairōseki, 'Straw Hat'!" one of the now decloaked people shouted, who turned out to be Buggy. "It has the special ability of draining the strength of Akuma no Mi users like you and I!"

'But I should be immune! I can swim in the seas and touch kairōseki, so why is this affecting me so much!'

"Now that I have your crewmate held captive," Buggy shouted, gesturing to the men who were holding Alvida down and threatening her with swords to the throat. She too was being restrained by kairōseki cuffs. "I can begin with your execution!" Screams of terror ripped through the crowd as more members of the Buggy Pirates began to corral the civilians into the main body of the town square so that all of them could bear witness to history in the making.

* * *

The next few minutes happened so fast that very few people realized what had happened. Several people had suddenly met having passed the boulevards into the town square. All remaining Straw-Hat Pirates save for Yosaku, who was now guarding the _Going Merry_ , and Alvida who was with Luffy exploring the town, and the Captain of the New Cook Pirates had gathered all at once as if by fate. When they turned their heads toward the massive crowd that had gathered to the side of them they happened to spy what was going on.

"What the fuck! Luffy!" Nami screamed at the top of her lungs when she saw what was happening. Without even thinking she dropped her vinyl bag and pulled out her Clima-Tact and began to assemble it. Zoro meanwhile directed Yosaku and Reiju to grab all their supplies and run back to the ship with them and prepare to ship out. Gin was quickly on his Den-Den Mushi signaling his crew that they should pull out of port without him since he was going to support the Straw-Hat Pirates.

"Any last words 'Straw Hat' Luffy?!" Buggy shouted to the heavens, his saber brandished in his hand. By now the storm front that Nami had predicted had begun to bear its fangs, as the clear sky from thirty minutes ago had transformed into dark, angry clouds with a few bolts of lightning arcing between them.

Unbeknownst to all in the town square, Marines had begun to surround the area from the high ground, their rifles trained upon all the pirates in the area. However, they were waiting upon Captain Smoker's orders, who recognized the volitivity of the situation. The Straw Hat Pirate crew could potentially turn the entire main square into a graveyard if they turned violent. But from the way that two of them were evacuating the civilians, be it protecting them against the Buggy Pirates or providing support fire showed that Straw-Hats and New Cook Pirate captain were more worried about saving their leader and protecting the civilians they did not seem to be interested in the carnage.

"I AM THE MAN THAT WILL BE THE NEXT PIRATE KING!" Luffy shouted at the top of his lungs with what little strength was left in his body. At the same time, Sanji, Kuina and Zoro rushing forward utilizing their underpowered _Soru_ to reach the platform as fast as possible. It was not enough however as they had only recently learned this _Rokushiki_ ability and their performance thus far was poor.

"Pirate King, eh?" Smoker muttered to himself in the nearby clocktower, surrounded by his second-in-command, Tashigi, and the other high ranking enlisted Marines.

Luckily, they were able to at least able to free Alvida who was taking her anger and fury out on the Buggy Pirates with Nami backing her up. However, even their own efforts were not enough to save their mutual lover, as there were too many enemies between them and the execution platform as well as too many civilians.

"This is the end 'Straw Hat'!" Buggy cried out as he raised his sabre dramatically, and flashily, into the sky before swinging down with all his might.

'So, this is how it ends for me, huh? I don't even get to see the Grand Line, let alone the One Piece. I couldn't even change the world. I couldn't even keep my promise about not making Nami cry.' His eyes focused on the crying face of his navigator, whose eyes were following the arc of Buggy's sabre as it descended upon her captain's neck.

'Gin… Sanji… Reiju… Johnny… Yosaku… Usopp… Zoro… Kuina… Alvida… Nami…' No tears were coming to his eyes because he knew there was no reason to make this a more heartbreaking departure for all of them. Instead, he did the only thing that was appropriate to him in this situation, he smiled. "Sorry everyone, looks like I'm dead."

"Damnit, Luffy!" Zoro roared as he cut down another Buggy Pirate.

"Captain Luffy!" Kuina shouted while covering her fellow swordsman's back against attackers.

"Cap'n!" Sanji growled as he cart-wheel kicked several rival pirates.

"Luffy!" Usopp screamed as he pulled a shot hoping against hope that it would fly fast enough to save his captain.

"Don Luffy!" Gin cried out as he smashed in the face of a Buggy Pirate that was about to attack a defenseless mother and son.

"Luffy, no!" Alvida shouted while trying to reach the execution stand with Nami.

"LUFFY!" Nami cried out tears streaming down her face, her mind flashing back to the day when her mother was almost executed. Even now, after all this time becoming stronger, she still felt as powerless as that day. This time however there would be no divine intervention of any kind to save Luffy.

'He smiled!' Smoker thought to himself as chomped through both of his cigars.

As if someone high above were watching the events going on a massive bolt of lightning roared down from heavens and struck Buggy's sword, electrocuting the man while at the same time striking the kairōseki and disintegrating it, releasing Luffy from its debilitating powers before harmlessly striking the rubber man himself. The execution stand itself did not survive the strike, as most of the upper portion of the stand was vaporized. A creaking sound was soon heard and what was left of the government monument tumbled to the ground with one person standing amongst it with a wide-eyed neutral expression.

Absolutely everyone in the plaza as well as the hidden Marines felt their jaws drop in shock. Sanji and Zoro even bantered between the two of them, arguing about whether there was a such thing as a higher power or even a god at that. The only two people in the square not standing stock still were Alvida and Nami who engulfed a grinning Luffy who had sighed happily as he put his signature Straw-Hat back on his head.

"Luffy!" the orangette and raven-haired beauty cried out as the hugged their captain close to themselves.

"Corner the pirates! Protect any civilians in harm's way! But do not engage the Straw-Hat Pirates! I repeat, do not engage the Straw-Hat Pirates!" a familiar voice cried out from the nearby clocktower.

"Oi, Kuina, look up. It's your twin." The blunette turned to her childhood friend to see him pointing off in the distance. Craning her head, she stopped for a quick second and blinked rapidly up at the figure blinking owlishly back at her.

"She looks just like me!" both swordswomen cried out, pointing an accusing finger at each other.

"No time! We need to leave now!" Gin growled as batted away another Buggy Pirate. "Don Luffy! Lady Nami! Lady Alvida! We need to leave right this instance before we're surrounded!"

"Let's go everyone!" Luffy shouted with a smile on his face as he ran with Alvida grasping one hand and Nami grasping the other. Usopp kept providing firing support for his crew and Gin while Zoro, Sanji, Kuina and Gin formed a protective circle around their captain and their other two comrades.

'Why did he smile? Did he know he was going to be saved? Just like Gold Roger that day, he smiled despite knowing that he was going to die.'

"Shouldn't we go down there, sir?" Tashigi asked her commanding officer.

"Tell me Tashigi, have you seen a pirate smile at his execution?"

"Most beg for their lives or curse the world. There's only one account of a pirate smiling at his execution: the former Pirate King himself, Gold Roger."

"Exactly! Just as Gold Roger did twenty-two years ago on that exact platform, 'Straw-Hat' Monkey D. Luffy smiled despite knowing he was going to die!" He rushed out of the clocktower, Tashigi hot on his heels and ran to Chief Petty Officer Salmon who was directing the Marines that were to be capturing the Buggy Pirates. "What's the status of the pirates in plaza, Salmon?"

"All but one of the pirates is captured, sir!" the man responded after snapping off a crisp salute. "It's 'The Clown' Buggy that's resisting arrest, sir!"

"I'll deal with him myself," Smoker grunted as his arms turned into smoke before the rest of his being, body, clothes, weapons and cigars turned to smoke.

"What?" Buggy muttered as he felt smoke begin to cloud his vision. But this was not ordinary smoke he realized as he felt a hand solidify on his head and grip his skull firmly. He then felt something hard strike his midsection, which he could not disconnect, which he identified as kairōseki since it injured him so badly. A quick strike to his knees also brought him down a few pegs before a net lined with kairōseki was thrown over his body.

"Ah crap! Who's the flashy bastard who got the drop on me?"

"That'd be me 'The Clown' Buggy."

"Captain Smoker!" the pirate captain growled. "Damn you!"

"Secure him! Protect the civilians as well! I'll deal with the Straw-Hat Pirates myself!"

"Captain Smoker, I'm coming with you!" Tashigi shouted from his side as the two of them sprinted down the street the Straw Hat Pirates had escaped down.

* * *

"That was so cool! No wonder he's worth two-hundred million Beri! Luffy-senpai! You have my support!" A few people distanced themselves from the strange man with green hair cropped up into a very tall mohawk, afraid to be near such an odd individual.

* * *

"I don't know who you are, but you're not going to harm this ship!" Johnny roared as he dadao slashed down the chest of the man with weird hair after having dispatched with the lion he rode in on. They were both still alive, but they would not be moving for a time.

"Shit, what the hell is going on?" the man with sea tattooed onto his check muttered. For the past few hours the weather had changed from sunny and warm to cloudy and somewhat muggy and finally to a full-blown storm with torrential rains, stormy winds and angry lightning strikes.

"Johnny!" Said man turned his head to the owner of the voice and saw Reiju and Yosaku running his way with the ships supplies. "Help us get the supplies on board and prepare to set out!"

"On it!"

* * *

"Roronoa Zoro!" Tashigi shouted as she stood before the fleeing Straw Hat Pirates. They had found that the pirate crew was not taking a direct route back to their ship, but rather an indirect route intending to lose their tail. Smoker and Tashigi had also learned from Salmon that the men sent to rig the pirate ships with explosives had not only failed but were soundly defeated by 'Sword of the Left' Johnny and a weird man with shields covered in massive pearls.

"Can't talk Tashigi, gotta run!" Zoro replied as he put his hand up in the negative.

"I'm not letting you leave this island, on my honor as a swordswoman!" the blunette shouted as she drew _Shigure_ from its sheathe.

"Go on ahead, Zoro-kun," Kuina responded as she quickly drew _Wadō Ichimonji_ from its sheathe and clashed with the Marine's own katana. "I need to have a talk with my 'twin'."

"Don't lose! The only person who's going to beat you is me!" Zoro shouted as he ran past with Usopp on his tail who took another pot shot at the pursuing Marines, incapacitating the squad chasing after them. Once they were clear, Kuina observed her doppelganger.

"So, what do you want with _my childhood friend_ , Ms. Marine?"

"He's holding one of the 21 Ō-Wazamono, and a pirate has no use for use for such a pure sword!" Tashigi answered as the two of them clashed swords. "I'm going to liberate it from his evil hands along with all of the other Saijō Ō-Wazamono, Ō-Wazamono, Ryō-Wazamono and Wazamono in the world."

"Same as my _Wadō Ichimonji_?" Kuina wondered as she deftly dodged her opponent's swings, getting a few slashes in herself. "Sorry to say, but Zoro-kun and I have a history with our swords. Neither of us are going to give them up. And the only way you're getting them from me or him, is off our cold, dead bodies." With a deft dodge, Kuina was able to get within her doppelganger's guard and disarm her by batting _Shigure_ out of Tashigi's hand with her sheathe. "And I don't think you're strong enough to defeat him, let alone me, Ms. Marine." The other blunette smiled at her, not in a condescending way, but rather in an encouraging way as she sheathed her katana.

"If you don't mind, I believe you have some people to tend to. I'll be taking my leave."

"What makes him so special, 'Blade Goddess' Momotoya Kuina?"

"Nn?"

"You heard me. You, who are so strong, see him as your superior, even though you are so strong yourself."

"If you had fought Zoro, he'd say I was stronger than him. And just because the both of us are women does not mean we can't acknowledge that a man's stronger than us."

"Eh?"

"I used to hate Zoro too, because he was born a man while I was born a woman. But after a while I learned that my gender doesn't determine if I'm superior or inferior. It comes down to my own determination to see my dream through. And that dream of liberating every one of the Wazamono, you have my support."

"Eh?"

"Of course, you have your work cut out for you since the Ōka Shichibukai Dracule Mihawk wields _Yoru_ , one of the 12 Saijō Ō-Wazamono."

"Eh?"

"Good luck." With that Kuina ran off in the direction of the _Going Merry_.

* * *

"Who's that?" Nami asked while she, Alvida and Luffy were cutting through back streets and avenues.

"Whoever he is," Luffy began as he grabbed Alvida and Nami. "He's far beyond either of you two right now." The captain then threw both his Quartermaster and Helmswoman over the opponent, both shouting in fright. With his _Kenbun-shoku no Haki_ Luffy predicted that the Marine would be using a strange Logia based ability on his nakama in midair so before he could, the pirate captain appeared near the Marine with the use of _Soru_ and kicked him in the chest.

"Gurk!"

"I don't know what you were going to do, but I'm not gonna let you touch my nakama," Luffy growled as he hopped back, the minor amount _Busō-shoku no Haki_ in his leg fading away.

"Looks like that recommendation from Marine HQ about not engaging you in one-on-one combat was true," the older man muttered as he held his chest. "For someone as young as you to be this strong…"

"Thanks for the compliment, but I've somewhere to be right now."

"I thought I'd be able to get a formal duel out of you, but from the looks of it," Smoker muttered as he rose to his full height, "This may instead be a one-sided fight. So, I'll instead ask you a question."

"A Marine asking a pirate a casual question instead of attempting to capture him? Isn't that the opposite of what your job entails?"

"Not when the pirate I'm fighting can go toe-to-toe with Marine HQ Vice-Admirals." Smoker then pulled out a cigar, lit it and took a drag of it. "Why become a pirate, 'Straw-Hat' Luffy? You could have become a beacon of hope for the people of the world and so many others."

"Because a pirate has the freedom to go anywhere you want, do anything you want and be whoever you are. While I have great respect for Marines like my Gramps, there are too many like Morgan and Nezumi for them to be true keepers of peace and beacons of hope."

"Well said."

Both Smoker and Luffy turned their heads toward owner of the voice. It was a tall man, going by the voice, draped in a deep green cloak that hid his entire being. However, when lightning flashed in the sky, the wind had blown at that exact moment and exposed his face, the light of the arcing lightning illuminating his face.

"You! I never thought the Leader of the Revolutionary Army would appear here of all places."

"Dragon…"

"That which cannot be stopped: inherited will, a man's dream, and the flow of time. So long as man continues to seek out the answer to freedom, the things will never be stopped!"

"Eh?"

"Words Gold Roger spoke just before he died…"

"A pirate is just fine, Monkey D. Luffy."

"The World Government is after your head, you know."

"The world still awaits our answer, Captain Smoker!"

Suddenly a massive gust of wind blasted through the streets of Loguetown, blowing off the restraints of the Buggy Pirates and sending them in the direction of their ship, separating the pursuing Marines from the pursued Straw Hat Pirates, plus one New Cook Pirate, and sending the allied crew of pirates careening into one pile of jumbled limbs.

"We need to go!" Nami exclaimed as she pulled Luffy and Alvida out of the pile, his other arm pulling Alvida up with him. "This storm is going to grow worse with each passing moment! If we don't move now, we'll never be able to get out of the port safely!"

The remaining Straw-Hat Pirates and New Cook Pirate untangled themselves from the veritable dogpile and followed the fleeing captain, navigator and helmswoman.

"Why'd you help the Straw-Hat Pirates and their ally flee, Dragon?" Smoker asked as he drew his Nanashaku Jutte, intending to put up some form of resistance. His orders after all were to not engage the Straw-Hat Pirates. That did not necessarily mean he could not fight Dragon, even if he knew it was a futile attempt.

"Tell me, Captain Smoker. What gives you the right to prevent a man from setting sail on the seas?" Another strike of lightning blinded the skies above Loguetown. The next moment, the Leader of the Revolution Army, Monkey D. Dragon disappeared from Smoker's line of sight.

* * *

"Hurry up everyone!" Johnny shouted as he and Yosaku gripped the rope that bound them to the port. "I don't know how much longer this rope hold!"

"Get on everyone! We need to set sail immediately to take advantage of this storm's winds!" Nami commanded as everyone leapt from the port onto the _Going Merry_. The two swordsmen released their grip on the rope once everyone was aboard and joined the rest of the crew in unfurling the sails at Nami's behest and set out, every single one of the Straw Hat Pirates at their post.

* * *

"Captain Smoker, sir!" Salmon saluted as the commanding officer and executive officer of the Loguetown Marine base returned. "Because of the sudden powerful gust of wind, the Buggy Pirates were able to escape their restraints."

"I'm going to continue the pursuing the Straw Hat and New Cook Pirates. Ready our cruiser," Smoker commanded as he breezed past his third-in-command.

"Sir? What about the standing orders? We've just received word that reinforcements will be arriving from Marine Branch Twenty-Five in a day. Vice-Admiral Garp isn't too far out either. Why not wait till then to put in the request? After all, Loguetown is your current posting, sir."

"I'm heading to the Grand Line, and I can apologize to Vice-Admiral Cancer when I see him in Paradise."

"I'm coming with you Captain Smoker!" his second-in-command spoke up as caught up to her commanding officer. "My pride as a swordswoman won't allow me to take my defeat at the hands of the 'Blade Goddess' lying down!"

"Master Chief Petty Officer Tashigi, not you too!" Salmon cried out as he put his head in his hands. His mood cleared up when he snapped back up and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, nothing to it, but to do it. Looks like I'm joining you crazy fools in this little chase of yours."

* * *

"To the Grand Line, Captain Buggy?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't we head to Paradise?"

"Paradise?"

"The softer side of the Grand Line," Buggy explained as he remembered the difference between the two sides of the Grand Line like night and day. Just like that day when Captain Roger fought 'Gold Lion' Shiki to a standstill in the New World. "After all, 'Straw-Hat's ambition is the One Piece at the end of the Grand Line, and I have a score to settle with him."

"So, we're going then Captain Buggy?" Cabaji questioned with Mohji at his side.

"Didn't I already say we were going?" Buggy asked with an annoyed tick-mark appearing on the back of his head. He simmered down a moment later as he gazed out into the raging storm. "O' how I've missed you Grand Line!"

* * *

"Luffy?"

It had been just six hours since they had left Loguetown and the storm had yet to subside. Currently Reiju was at the helm while Zoro was on watch, the two of them relieving Alvida and Kuina of their usual duties. Everyone else was asleep, save for Luffy, who was a few feet away from the fridge, Nami, who was writing something in the galley, and Alvida, who had come to get a drink before bed.

"Nn, what is it Nami?" A quiet moment passed between the two of them before Nami rose from the table and made her way over to her captain. Before he could ask what was up once more, the orangette pulled Luffy close to herself and sealed their lips together in a searing and deep kiss that conveyed so much emotion that neither of them realized that a full two minutes had passed before they broke apart. "N-Nami?"

"Don't ever do something like that, okay, you idiot? I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you."

"But you didn't," he replied with an innocent tilt of his head.

"We almost did though." Luffy was quickly spun around and was pulled into an equally searing kiss with his beautiful helmswoman. Their kiss lasted just as long, and when they separated Luffy could see that tears were slowly forming in the corners of Alvida's eyes. "Don't ever do something so foolish like that, okay captain?"

"You're not only the crew's keystone, you're our rock Luffy," Nami whispered as she hugged her lover from behind. "You can't leave us alone in this world."

"Even if it kills you, you can't die Luffy."

"Promise me that Luffy," the orangette sniffed as she gripped him closer.

"Promise us Captain," the beauty murmured as she hugged her captain tightly.

"It's a promise you two," Luffy pledged as he stood there and threaded his hand together with Nami's and wrapped an arm around Alvida's waist.

* * *

"Promises are the worst words that can be spoken. Especially when they are _broken_!"

* * *

"How far are we out from the East Blue entrance to the Grand Line Nami?" Luffy asked from his usual spot atop the _Going Merry_ 's figure head. The storm they had fled in Loguetown seemed to follow them out for more than twelve hours out on the seas. Though the winds were rough, and the waters turbulent, the _Going Merry_ was able to weather it and carry its crew without a problem. The _Flaming Molotov_ that soon joined them an hour ago was faring slightly worse, but only due its size and not because of the experience of its crew.

"You see that light flickering on and off in the distance Luffy?"

"Oh! We're not too far now!"

"Since we're so close to the Grand Line, this calls for the usual pirate ceremony!" Sanji cried out as he grabbed a nearby barrel and brought it over to the fore deck near the helm.

"What do we do?! What do we do?!" Luffy exclaimed with stars in his eyes, always excited to do new pirate-y things.

"To find the All Blue," Sanji intoned as he rested his foot on the barrel. Taking the cue from him, everyone approached the barrel, surrounding it and proving that it was quite the squeeze with all eleven of them.

"To see Zeff-ji-sama's dream come true," Reiju whispered from his side and placed the heel of her boot atop the wood.

"To become a worthy swordsman," Johnny said as he placed his left foot on the barrel.

"To prove my strength as a warrior," Yosaku muttered as right foot connected with the barrel.

"To finding the One Piece and becoming Pirate King!" Luffy shouted as he stomped his foot on the barrel.

"To cross the entire Grand Line," Gin said as he placed a foot on the container.

"To proving the strength of dreams of my nakama," Alvida chuckled as she placed the heel of her sandal on the barrel, her duty on the helm temporarily forgotten.

"To draw a map of the world and all five seas!" Nami giggled as her heeled sandal was placed atop the barrel, her foot trapping Luffy's between Alvida's and hers.

"To become the greatest swordsman!" Zoro smirked as his boot touched the top of the barrel.

"To become the greatest swordswoman!" Kuina giggled from his side, rubbing her shoulder against his and her foot teasing his own atop the barrel.

"T-To become a brave warrior of the seas and surpass my father!" Usopp stuttered as he finished the circle.

"Three!" they cried out as they lifted their feet together. "Two! One!" The barrel was smashed by the combined strength of the eleven pirates.

"Off to the Grand Line we go!" everyone cried out.

* * *

"I think they forgot about us," one of the New Cook Pirates muttered as he stared over the edge of the _Flaming Molotov_ at the _Going Merry_ where their captain was currently having a merry time with the Straw Hat Pirates.

"If you have time to moan, you have time to work newbie! We need to hold the lines! Snap to it!"

"Yes sir, Vice-Captain Pearl!"

* * *

"Gahahahaha!" Garp laughed as he held the speaker for his Den-Den Mushi in his hand. He had connected with Captain Smoker who was currently in pursuit of his grandson, his crew and his allies. The lower ranking Marine had spoken with him at length about what had happened in Loguetown, including his confrontation with Luffy and Dragon. "So, my no-good son saw my no-good grandson off, eh?"

"Son? Dragon the Revolutionary is your son?!" Smoker roared into his Den-Den Mushi, the one on Garp's end mimicking the facial expression of the shocked Captain.

"Luffy's father is the most wanted man in the world!" Coby cried out from his spot at the door.

"Holy shit!" Helmeppo gasped as he froze in shock.

"Hmmm? Did I just say that? Oh, well forget about that please, I wasn't supposed to tell anyone about that."

"THEN DON'T SAY IT IN THE FIRST PLACE!" Smoker, Coby and Helmeppo shouted as one.

"Anyway, Captain Smoker, it's futile to chase them up the Red Line entrance to the Grand Line. There are too many islands they could potentially head towards on the first leg of their journey down the Paradise."

"Do you have any suggestions then Vice-Admiral?"

"Alabasta is a good place to lie in wait."

"Why there? I don't trust that Shichibukai, Crocodile." A growl passed through the Den-Den Mushi. "I don't need a pirate to help me catch another pirate."

"Just call it a hunch Captain Smoker."

"Yes sir," Smoker muttered as he ordered his men to requisition an Eternal Pose from Marine HQ for Alabasta. "What about you sir?"

"Fate will allow me to meet my no-good pirate of a grandson once more. I'm not too worried about abandoning the chase for now." Garp grinned as he leaned back and looked over his shoulder at the two Seaman Recruits standing at attention. "Besides, its time that I start training my two new protégés seriously."

"So Marineford then? Well, I wish you luck sir." The Den-Den Mushi then fell asleep, indicating that the transmission was cut.

"Geez, doesn't that kid know that the superior officer is the one who hangs up?" Garp asked rhetorically as he placed his speaker back on the shell of his Den-Den Mushi. "Not that I care about rank anyway! Gahahaha!"

"Helmeppo?"

"Yeah Coby?"

"It was nice knowing you, even if you act like a spoiled brat."

"Nice knowing you too, crybaby."

"Bogard! Tell the navigator to chart a course to Marineford! We're heading back home!"

"Right away sir!" his second-in-command saluted before turning and leaving the room, ignoring the fact that Garp had fallen asleep once more after commanding him.

* * *

 **AN: Noct Gar seems familiar. Wonder where he's from...**


	11. Chapter 11 The Adventures Begin

Odyssey of the Will of 'D'

* * *

Chapter 11

A Long Line of Misadventures

* * *

"Oro? Why'd the light go out?" Luffy questioned while hanging upside from the _Going Merry_ 's figurehead by his feet.

"The shifts must be switching," Alvida mused as she locked their heading for the time being as instructed by their navigator.

"If I weren't here, this would be the most inappropriate time for this to happen," Nami muttered under her raincoat. "Luckily, you have the best navigator in the world as a crewmate Luffy."

"That's our Nami," her captain praised as he pulled himself up.

"More importantly though, could you please get off of there. It's dangerous!"

"Shishishi, I'm fine! I'm fine!"

Nami grumbled some rather colorful and descriptive words about her lover before turning back to the laminated sea chart in her hands. "But what's really troubling right now is what lies ahead of us. I can't believe the rumors are true…"

"Rumors? What rumors?" Luffy questioned with a tilt of his head. Without even giving heed to his words, the orangette beckoned her fellow Straw-Hats to meet in the galley with the rest of the crew who were preparing for lunch. Once everyone was seated in the galley, the navigator stated what rumor she was talking about.

"The entrance to the Grand Line is a mountain."

"Well, yeah. How'd you think pirates got to the Grand Line? Through the Calm Belt?" Luffy asked while picking his nose with his pinky finger. "It's called Reverse Mountain and it has five rivers leading going through it, one for each of the Blues and one for the Paradise of the Grand Line. The currents switch around for two days out of the week, flowing down instead of up."

"There you go again with Paradise," Gin muttered as he chomped on a piece of chicken leg. "Why are you calling it Paradise if those of us who are former Krieg Pirates know it as the Pirate Graveyard?"

"That's the name for it for those who were defeated by the first half of the Grand Line," Luffy snickered as he flickered the booger on his finger into the nearby the nearby trashcan. "For those who finish it, the second portion, the New World, is a million times more terrifying. Thus, those who run away from the New World call the first portion Paradise."

A shiver ran up every single one of the Straw-Hat Pirates', and one New Cook Pirate captain, backs. Gin's cold shudder was worse, as he could barely fathom what horrors awaited in the New World that made the first half seem like paradise. "You said for pirates anyway, what about the Marines and civilians?"

"Generally speaking, most people never leave their home sea unless becoming a merchant, a pirate, a Marine or they're of nobility. The thing about Marine ships and ships used by nobles, is that the bottoms of the hulls are lined with kairōseki which essentially wards off Sea Kings, so paddles are usable in the Calm Belt," their captain explained as he tore into a piece of mutton.

"What's kairōseki?" Kuina asked.

"It's a weird stone imbued with the powers of the seas themselves. Anyone with Akuma no Mi powers who touches the stones feels their strength begin to drain as if they were submerged in water." Alvida's eyes widened when she heard that. "Yeah, it's the same thing that got you and me back at Loguetown Alvida."

"But, we've seen you swim before!" Nami exclaimed. "How did something like that stop you?"

"That's what's worrying me, I played around with kairōseki back at Marineford to see if it would affect me, and it didn't. So how did Buggy get ahold of something that could affect me?" Luffy tilted his head in consternation, wondering how in the Five Seas something like this could occur… for all of five seconds. "Welp! Nothing to worry about since it was all vaporized! Shishishishi!" Luffy suddenly stopped his boisterous laughter when he felt that the unstable waters that had been with them for the last day had suddenly stopped for no apparent reason.

"Luffy? What's wrong?" Nami asked.

"Were not rocking anymore."

"Finally! I was getting sick of the swaying to and from in my hammock," Zoro muttered.

"Yeah, Luffy's right! It's no longer stormy outside!" Usopp shouted as he opened own of the galley's portholes and stuck his head out, some water clinging to the seal dripping down onto his long nose.

"This can't be right, we should have been blown to entrance of Reverse Mountain by that storm," Nami muttered to herself as she checked over the map. She stepped outside with the nine other Straw-Hat Pirates and one New Cook Pirate to take stock of their situation.

"Hey, my ship's still in the storm," Gin muttered as he peered off into the direction of the storm front with a spyglass. "That's weird. It's like there's some kind of barrier between us that's keeping the storm away from us."

"That's because of the Calm Belt. There is literally no wind out here for some mysterious reason that not even the R&D Division of the Marines can answer." Luffy's eyes hardened though. "We need to get back into the storm on the double."

"Why do we need to do that?" Johnny asked, Yosaku and Usopp nodding their heads in agreement. Nonetheless, all of the members of their motley crew were heading to the storage room to drag out the paddles that were stowed away in there.

"Like I said before, Marine and noble ships are coated with kairōseki to fool Sea Kings while traversing the Calm Belt using oars," Luffy said as his eyes peered off into the horizon. Something had not felt right the moment the _Going Merry_ had entered the Calm Belt, and not because they had deviated from their route to Reverse Mountain. No, something else was worrying him.

" _Bearer of the Blessings of the Seas…_ "

"Did you guys hear that?" Luffy grumbled as his eyes scanned about.

"Hear what Captain?" Kuina asked from her spot in the crow's nest, now on full alert in case silhouettes were spotted on the horizon or in the sea beneath them.

" _Inheritor of the Will of D…_ "

"There it is again!"

"What's wrong Luffy?" Zoro questioned as he hoisted three paddles from the main deck to the port and starboard rails.

" _He who shall shake the very foundations of this world…_ "

"Who's speaking!"

"Luffy, you're scaring me," Nami whispered as she looked on in horror as her lover seemed to slowly go insane.

" _We have been waiting for you for over eight hundred years…_ "

"Show yourself!"

"Luffy! Be quiet, didn't you say there were Sea Kings out here?!" Usopp hissed as he did a shushing motion.

"Do you want them to hear us Luffy-aniki?!" Yosaku and Johnny cried out together.

"You guys be quiet too!" the sniper roared.

" _A promise made long ago shall be fulfilled by your hands…_ "

"What promise?!"

"Sis, you got any tranquilizers in the med-kit?"

"No… I'm just as worried as you are Sanji…"

" _Receive our blessings that will guide you child…_ "

"Why do I want a blessing?!"

"Luffy, please you're freaking everyone out," Alvida said as she grabbed Luffy be the shoulders and shook him slightly before slapping him twice, attempting to break him out of his funk. That seemed to have done the trick as Luffy was broken from his delirium, his eyes blinking owlishly back at the Helmswoman. "Now tell us what's going on, you're worrying all of us."

"I'm hearing voices… Like the voice of the Lord of the Coast…"

"Lord of the Coast?" the orangette beside him asked, concerned about whether or not the Calm Belt was already claiming its first victim.

"It's the name of the Sea King that helped us out back at Arlong Park. But he shouldn't be with us right now, I told him he should protect our home islands for the time being."

" _The Blessing of the Emperors of the Seas…_ "

"Blessing… of the _EMPERORS OF THE SEAS!"_

Before anyone could question why Luffy had shouted that strange statement, the owners of those seven voices soon made their presence known as they rose from the Calm Belt, their actions kicking up waves that would have capsized the _Going Merry_ if were any smaller. Luckily the _East Goers_ and the _Hound Dog_ had been stored on the much larger _Flaming Molotov_ as lifeboats instead of usually being tethered to the caravel as usual since the Conomi Islands, or else those two smaller ships would have been lost to the drink.

"Hold on everyone!" Luffy shouted as he wrapped an arm around Alvida and Nami and braced himself against the galley's outer walls. Johnny, Yosaku and Usopp unfortunately slammed into the wall leading to the storage room. Gin had luckily grabbed onto the portside railing, thus tethering himself to a stable support. Zoro had seen Kuina stumble about in the crow's nest and had used a combination of _Geppō_ and _Soru_ to reach there so that he could hold onto his childhood friend and protect the two of them. The older Vinsmoke sibling was holding onto her younger brother who had one hand wrapped around her waist and the other holding onto the railing in front of the galley, his hand digging into the wooden railing. Once the waves receded and the rocking ceased, all on board the _Going Merry_ reclaimed their bearings before noticing that the sun seemed to be blotted out by something.

As one, the eleven humans on board turned their heads up to the sky to see what was obstructing the sunlight. As one, ever single occupant of the _Going Merry_ felt their collective jaws drop at the sight before them. Floating with their heads and necks above the Calm Belt were at least ten massive Sea Kings, the largest of which could fit ten Marine battleships inside its maw at once while the smallest one which looked like a yellow frog could fit three Marine battleships in its maw and have room for the _Going Merry_. They all seemed to be waiting there docile, something that was rather rare of Sea Kings of the Calm Belt, as if they were waiting on someone to acknowledge them.

"T-They're huge!" Nami whispered aghast as slowly assembled her Clima-Tact with trembling fingers, Alvida hefting her mace, readying herself for the coming fight while nodding her head in agreement. Luffy stared up at the Sea Kings, worried whether or not his gift, which was apparently called the Blessing of the Seas, would help in this situation. Hopefully from the words they were speaking earlier, driving him insane no less, they meant no harm.

"How are we gonna get out this?" Sanji whispered in awe as he and Reiju stood at the ready, the pinkette's eyes peering at her brother momentarily before staring dead ahead with hardened eyes. Neither sibling was willing to die in a place like this without ever putting up a fight. The two of them were survivors after all, something like a few massive Sea Kings were not going to stop them.

"Shit," Zoro growled as he drew _Heiwa Seiya_ from its scabbard and gripped it between his teeth while drawing _Yubashiri_ and _Sandai Kitetsu_ , his ears listening in on the movement of Kuina's own _Wadō Ichimonji_ leaving its scabbard. Both sword wielders had been trained extensively since joining Luffy some month and a half ago. They had learned so much, yet it was not enough when it the time came to save their captain's life. The two of them could only hope that they were strong enough to protect their crew and captain this time around or die trying.

"By the Five Seas!" Usopp shouted out in horror as was frozen stock still, Johnny and Yosaku not faring any better as they clung to the Syrup Village native. All three broke out of their funk when they saw Sanji, Reiju, Zoro and Kuina all ready for do or die and prepared themselves for what could possibly their very last leg of their shared adventure.

"We're done for," Gin whispered as he dropped to his knees in despair. Though the ride up until now was fraught with peril, adventure, laughter and fun, Gin momentarily thought to himself how different his life would have gone had he not ventured back to the Grand Line. Those cowardly thoughts died down when he remembered what he had promised himself. The captain of the New Cook Pirates rose to his feet and readied his Cannon Tonfa, ready to face everything that lie before him with dignity.

After about a full two minutes of staring between the pirates and Sea Kings, the humans realized that the titanic sea beasts had no intention of attacking them, as the towering colossi stared down upon them with eyes that held such an astonishing intelligence, as if they had seen the whole of the history their world had to offer.

" _Bearer of the Blessing of the Seas… Inheritor of the Will of D… Receive unto yourself and your compatriots our blessings… the Blessing of the Emperors of the Seas._ "

Though the ten other humans could not hear it, they could see that the largest, the white and black spotted one, was saying something, though what they could not tell. They all turned their heads to Luffy, knowing he was somehow able to communicate with these gargantuan faunas. Everyone's heads turned back to the Sea Kings when they noticed that the leviathans now surrounded their comparatively small ship. Every single Sea King soon opened its maw and began to release a string of low gurgling growls that soon began to grow until it became apparent that all of the Sea Kings were singing a strange, otherworldly melody. For four long minutes the eleven humans stood there, watching the Sea Kings and listening to their irregular song continue on until every single one of them felt something within their very beings shift. All around them the Sea Kings slowly began to close their maws and quietly, gently sink back into the Calm Belt before only six Sea Kings remained floating before the _Going Merry_.

" _Farewell Inheritor of the Will of D…_ "

"D-Did I just hear the Sea King speak?" Usopp stuttered as he pointed a finger at the large white and black splotch Sea King.

"H-Holy heaven…" Gin whispered.

" _Your road is long and fraught with peril…_ "

"We can hear them speak Zoro-kun," Kuina spoke in an awed tone as she sheathed _Wadō Ichimonji_ , her childhood friend following her example.

"Not even on the Grand Line yet and something really weird has already happened to us," Zoro chuckled.

" _We shall assist you in resuming your odyssey…_ "

"They don't mean…" Alvida and Nami muttered at the same time as they paled at what that statement meant. The opening of the largest Sea King's jaw confirmed nearly everyone's fear about what the Sea Kings meant by assisting them. "We're gonna get eaten by a massive Sea King!" the navigator and beauty cried out as they grabbed onto either side of Luffy who was laughing all the while. Usopp, Johnny and Yosaku were of course running around like chickens with their heads lopped off while Gin was collapsed on his back, foaming at the mouth with a shocked look on his face. Sanji meanwhile pulled out a cigarette while Reiju lit it for him, a bemused smile on her face.

"Well, nothing we can do now," Zoro grumbled as he leaned back in the crow's nest, simply accepting the weird situation they were in, with Kuina snuggled up into his side, a smile on her face much like Reiju's.

The Sea King seemed to have other ideas when it decided to instead sneeze violently in front of their ship, the air rushing from its nose and mouth matching that of hurricane force winds. The action propelled the _Going Merry_ and its passengers with enough force backwards that they flew from the Calm Belt all the way to with a half nautical mile of the _Flaming Molotov_.

"YAAAAHOOOOOOO!" Luffy yelled in delight as the _Going Merry_ sailed through the air.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" most everyone else yelled in surprise or fright.

" _I didn't mean to do that._ "

" _Eh, it worked either way._ "

" _Wanna go terrorize some humans?_ "

" _Nah, I'm gonna piss off Midgardsormr._ "

" _I'm gonna explore the Ancient Sea and see if I can't finally find that last damnable Mangeur D'île and devour it._ "

" _That species needs to be wiped out_."

" _Well, good luck to you Odin_."

" _You as well, Shiva._ "

" _So long Zeus, Susano'o, Quetzalcoatl, Ra._ " And with that, the last six Calm Sea Kings, or rather Sea Emperors departed for parts unknown.

* * *

"W-Were they just sent flying from the Calm Belt back here by a sneezing Sea King?" one of the deck hands of the New Cook Pirates asked while most of his compatriots watched on with slack jaws.

"Oh, thank goodness Gin isn't dead," Pearl muttered in appreciation, clutching his chest directly over his heart. "I'm not sure if I'm ready to be captain yet!"

* * *

"It's the Red Line Reiju…" Sanji murmured as he stared up at the massive, towering wall of red earth from outside of the galley. A day had passed since their misadventures on the Calm Belt, during which Gin had transferred back onto the _Flaming Molotov_ , the larger ship trailing a few leagues to their starboard bow.

His sister hummed quietly as she too stared up at structure, both of their minds flashing back to that day nearly ten years ago. That memory lasted for only a moment before the two siblings turned back to Johnny who was listening in on the Den-Den Mushi that was connected to the one the New Cook Pirates had on their ship.

"We're about a nautical mile away from the East Blue entrance on Reverse Mountain, Nami-aneki," Johnny relayed from the Den-Den Mushi. The orangette had a tick-mark appear on the back of her head at the honorific but ignored it and focused on navigating both their ship and the _Flaming Molotov_ successfully up Reverse Mountain.

"All hands-on deck! All hands-on deck!" the Cocoyashi native cried out, rousing all the Straw Hats to their respective stations. Luffy and Zoro were standing on the deck in front of mess, over watching their crewmates scramble to their predetermined stations. Johnny had ducked into the cabin below them and dragged out a Den-Den Mushi, hooking up the headphones to the shell and switching the channel to the New Cook Pirate's own Den-Den Mushi.

"Come in _Flaming Molotov_! Come in _Flaming Molotov_! This the _Going Merry_ calling! The _Going Merry_ calling! Come in _Flaming Molotov_!" Johnny shouted into the microphone. Unfortunately, the Den-Den Mushi was silent, indicating they were not in contact with Gin and his crew yet.

"Keep it up Johnny, continue attempting to hail them! They need to know where we are!" Zoro ordered over the pouring rain.

All the while Nami was directing Alvida, their helmswoman heeding the Quartermaster's orders. Kuina was of course in the crow's nest, keeping eyes open for any perceivable threats in the heavy rain, so close to the Red Line.

"Everything in the crew quarters has been secured Captain!" Reiju reported as she popped out of the hold. Her brother popped out from behind the Captain and Vice-Captain and reported the same for the storage room and mess.

"Stand by for orders from Nami you two!" Luffy ordered as the two siblings nodded and headed the main deck and stood by for orders. They did not have to wait long for Nami to shout in fright as they hit the strong currents near the entrance to Reverse Mountain.

"Furl the sails!" Nami ordered as she braced. "Full furl of the sails! The currents are pulling us hard! Furl those sails!"

"You heard the lady!" Zoro shouted as he and Luffy sprang into action along with the rest of the crew, sans Johnny. "Have you gotten into contact with Gin yet!?" the swordsman growled as he helped close the sails.

"They're on the horn Zoro-aniki! What should I tell them?!" Sword of the Left shouted over the rain.

"Furl their sails and ride the current up with us!" the organette shouted. "They should also try and reduce their speed before the hit the currents so that they can have as much control going up as they can get with their larger ship!"

"Roger!" the man shouted back before relaying the orders back to the New Cook Pirates comms officer.

"Alvida, hard to port! We're going to crash into the canal sides! Hard to port!"

"I'm giving her all she's got Nami! The currents too strong!"

"Luffy! Zoro! Help adjust our course!"

"On it!" Straw Hat Luffy and Pirate Hunter Zoro remarked as they leapt to the sides and let loose techniques to hold their course parallel to the canal's sides.

" _Gomu Gomu no Gatling_!"

" _Santōryū: Hyakuhachi Pound Ho_!"

"Alvida! How's the helm!"

"Controls are responsive! Currents are lightening up!"

"Zoro, Luffy! We're good over here!"

"How are Gin and the others doing?" Zoro questioned as he walked over to Johnny who was listening into comms.

"They've taken light damage to the port side hull, luckily it was above the waterline, but they will need to repair it as soon as possible," Johnny reported.

"Everyone, look! We're above the clouds!" Nami spoke in excitement. All Straw Hats gathered at the fore deck at the behest of their own curiosity and gasped in awe at the sight before them. They were quite sure they had flown farther than needed above the canals and hung suspended for a short while. As the Straw Hats gazed all over the area they could see, a somewhat strangled came from Usopp's throat as he caught sight of it, or rather felt it with his _Kenbun-Shoku no Haki_. Everyone turned in the direction he pointed after he started shouting for their attention, but the sight they saw soon vanished before them under cloud cover before their very eyes.

One thought entered all their minds before they crashed back on to the waters below them. 'Was that Raftel?'

"Wait? Does anyone else hear that?" Nami asked, putting a hand to ear to get a better read on the sound.

"Forget hearing whatever _it_ is! I can feel something massive at bottom of the canal!" Usopp shouted in fright. "It's bigger than anything I've ever felt!"

"That's what she said," Yosaku snickered before Johnny smacked him upside the head.

"Quiet!" Sanji hissed as he too cupped a hand to his ear. "That sounds like a whale. Or more specifically an Island Whale."

"It's cry," Reiju murmured as she looked ahead of the ship. "It's so sad. I wonder why it's crying in so much pain."

"Only one way to find out." And with that Luffy hopped on the _Going Merry_ 's figure head and sent out several blunted _Rankyaku_ , intent to slow down the caravel.

"Get on the horn and alert Gin and the others that they should do everything in their power to slow their ship down going down the Grand Line canal," Zoro ordered before turning back to the bow and unleashing a few consecutive _Sanjuroku Pound Ho_ with the flat end of _Seiya Heiwa_. Kuina added a few _Hyakusora_ _Sakuhana_ with the blunt side of _Wadō Ichimonji_ while Yosaku threw in a few underpowered sword _Rankyaku_ , Johnny joining in after having radioed their allies' ship. Sanji and Reiju of course threw in a few of their own _Rankyaku_ to help slow their descent toward the Island Whale.

As the distance between them and the Island Whale became smaller and smaller, the Straw Hats ramped up their attempts to slow down their ship to prevent the imminent crash. Luckily enough, once they cleared the canal, they had reduced their speed enough for them to turn hard to port to further avoid crashing into the whale.

Cruising near it, but yet at an assumed safe distance, the crew marveled at the massive marine mammal. The feature of the Island Whale that drew their attention however was the massive number of scars that marred the face of the great whale. They idled noted that the New Cook Pirates own barque had cleared the canal before the Island Whale began to bellow in sadness.

" _Give back Laboon's friends!_ "

"What was that?" Zoro muttered as he looked around.

"I thought I was hearing things too," Sanji spoke from his spot on the rigging.

" _Give back Laboon's friends!_ "

"It's the Island Whale!" the orangette shouted as she pointed at the enraged marine mammal.

" _Yorki! Brook! Xyl! Trom! Bass! Give back Laboon's friends! Give Laboon back the Rumbar Pirates!_ "

"Hey, Whale!" Luffy shouted as he leapt from the deck of the _Going Merry_ and used _Geppō_ to ascend to where its eye was. The Island Whale's eyes soon focused in on the human who seemed to be bouncing to the air itself. "My names Monkey D. Luffy! Do you wanna be my friend?"

" _Friend? With you? Why do you want to be my friend?_ " the whale asked curiously.

"Because you're cool! You have all those scars on your head and scars are proof of one's own bravery so you must be a great pers- erm- whale!"

" _These scars aren't from this Laboon being brave_ ," the whale corrected. " _This Laboon got these from ramming Laboon's head into this cliff, the Red Line_."

"Yeah, I got that from what you were wai- erm- shouting at the Red Line," Luffy said, rewording his phrasing so as to avoid any puns. "But you were talking about the Rumbar Pirates, right?" The Island Whale nodded once, mimicking what it had seen its friends do half-century do. "But that crew was reported to have attempted to cross the Calm… You know don't you, buddy?"

" _L-Laboon knows they're gone. Humans can hardly cross the Calm Belt without being eaten by the Sea Kings that lurk there. You and those on that tiny ship are the few exceptions though_ ," the whale's eye focused down for a second before returning to Luffy. " _Laboon knows my friends well enough that even if only one of them was left, they would have returned to see this Laboon. Laboon knows they're dead. Laboon knows that. But, even so…_ _If not for this Laboon's caretaker, Crocus, this Laboon would have died long ago from my wounds_."

"Crocus! You know Crocus-Oyaji?! Where is he?" If Laboon had eyebrows one would have been arched at the fact the human in front of him was bouncing even more, and also excitedly.

" _He was last inside of my stomach. Although those weird humans that come every now and again are back_."

"Did you eat him Laboon? Why would you do that?"

" _He sailed inside of Laboon's stomach, so he has an easier time with calming Laboon down with medicine. He is skilled healer._ "

"Oh, in that case can we see him?" Luffy asked.

" _That's fine with Laboon._ " Laboon watched as the human slowly began to descend back down to the tiny ship before pointing his head down and opening his mouth.

"You want us to go inside of the Island Whale?!" Nami cried out as she shook Luffy.

"His name's Laboon too!" her captain answered cheerfully.

"That's not the point!"

"But Crocus of the Roger Pirates is inside of Laboon right now! I want to meet one of the few remaining members of that Legendary crew! It's part of the bingo sheet Shanks gave me! After Crocus, all I need to do is find the First Mate of the Roger Pirates, Silvers Rayleigh and I can get a free favor from Shanks!"

"Like that's going to happen!" Zoro, Usopp, Sanji, Yosaku and Johnny roared as the kicked their captain in the rear.

"We're not letting that Island Whale-"

"Laboon!"

"Swallow us whole!" Nami finished, ignoring Luffy's interruption.

Hearing his name and one of the humans say, "Swallow us whole," the Island Whale obliged and began to suck in the water in front of him, including the seawater the two ships were resting upon.

"No! I don't want to get swallowed by a giant whale!" Nami cried out as she held onto Luffy.

"Welp, here we go," Sanji muttered as he took a drag of his cigarette. "First strange occurrence of the Grand Line and not even a nautical mile from the entrance."

"Seems about right ototō."

"I never knew that one of my lies would come true! I'm not sure I want anymore of them to come true now!"

"Usopp-aniki, you're not helping!" Yosaku shouted as he held his fellow swordsman.

"How many exaggerated lies have you told aniki?!" his bounty hunter partner asked in terror.

"Do you think I could even put a scratch on this thing Kuina?"

"It'd probably feel like a tickle really, Zoro-kun," his childhood replied as she braced for impact like Zoro had done.

"Well, I should probably steer the ship, so we don't rock too much as we're swallowed by Laboon." Alvida blinked thrice before exhaling exasperatedly. "That's not supposed to sound like something normal. Not one bit."

* * *

"Well fuck," Gin muttered as he watched the Island Whale begin to swallow their ship whole.

"Welp, we broke our record for how fast we got our asses kicked on the Grand Line," his Vice-Captain stated with crossed arms beside the Captain.

"Should we really have followed him here?" a random deckhand questioned as the world went dark. If this were an anime or cartoon movie, their eyes and teeth would be the only objects illuminated besides the lanterns. As it was, there was barely any light to see with and everyone could at best see five meters in front of their own face.

"Well the Island Whale, Laboon," Gin corrected, "Said something about a Crocus getting the Don all excited."

"Wait, Crocus? As in Crocus of the Roger Pirates? 'The Harpoon' Crocus whose mastery of _Busō-shoku no Haki_ and his ability to take down a fully-grown Sea King in one spear throw earned him a nine-hundred million Beri bounty?! Which, going by inflation, is now one billion, three hundred and ninety million Beri! That Crocus?!" the same deckhand screamed excitedly. Everyone on the _Flaming Molotov_ stared at him in wonder, the man scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "I'm kinda a history buff when it comes to the Roger Pirates."

"Well, we'll find out when we meet him," Gin muttered before everyone's were near blinded by the sudden unexplained exposure to sunlight once more.

* * *

"Are we seriously still inside of Laboon?" the navigator asked as she marveled at scenery around her. Regaining her composure and allowing her skin to feel the air around them, and her eyes to observe the skies above them, she confirmed her suspicions. "Yep. We're still inside of the big guy."

"How can you tell Nami-aneki?" the sunglass wearing swordsman asked before receiving a smack to the back of the head courtesy of the woman.

"Stop with the aneki already, at least us sama," she whined petulantly. "First of all, the air around us has a feel of sea water and something else not unlike throw-up." Yosaku, Johnny, Nami and Usopp all turned green around the gills hearing her say that. "Second of all there is no barometric pressure here, the clouds aren't moving, and neither are the seagulls over there," the orangette finished pointing off into the distance.

"Crocus-Ossan! Crocus-Ossan! Are you there?!" Luffy shouted from the figurehead of the _Going Merry_. Instead of any human responding to his cries, it seemed as if the only thing that had heeded his question was instead a Royal Squid.

" _I am the Grand Lunni! Fear me humans!_ " the Royal Squid cried out as it breeched the water's surface.

"Eh? Hey, Sanji! Is squid any good?" the two-hundred million Beri man asked his chef.

"The head is considered the best part, bread it and deep fry it to make delicious calamari that goes well with marinara or tartar sauce. The tentacles are good as sashimi or nigiri if thinly sliced," the blonde answered as he took a drag of his cigarette.

" _Ca-Calamari?_ " Lunni stuttered in fright.

"Oi, Zoro. Dice it up to Sanji's instructions!" the captain ordered.

"Why me? Yosaku and Johnny need the practice dealing with big stuff," the _Santōryū_ user scowled, slowly drawing _Seiya Heiwa_ even if he was griping.

"Their moves aren't as smooth and precise as yours though Zoro-kun."

"Your kenjutsu is more beautiful than mine Kuina, we've gone over this before."

"For a Royal Squid like this, we'll need to cut the head to half a meter in width- oh what the hell?!" Sanji shouted, his instructions falling to the wayside as three harpoons exploded through the Giant Squid's head.

" _So ends my journey! Farewell cruel world!_ " Lunni cried out as it crashed backwards into the water.

"Yahoo! That's 'The Harpoon' Crocus for you!" someone on the Molotov cried out in delight.

As if summoned by the mere mention of his name, muscular old man with a white beard, bald head and… a flower headpiece in a pink shirt emerged from the house on the nearby island, the ropes bound to the harpoons in his hands. Staring down every single person, the old man slowly walked forward, pulling the rope all the while. Even as he hefted the Giant Squid onto his island, he never once broke eye contact with any of the pirates, every single person too awed or stunned to do anything else as they watched him. Finally, the moment broke when he finally sat down in the lawn chair under the palm tree, still staring at everyone.

"It seems you all know of me, but that leaves me on the backfoot as I know none of you," Crocus spoke up after another full minute of staring down everyone.

"I'm Luffy, the man who'll be Pirate King!" Luffy introduced himself as he waved at Crocus from Merry's figurehead. "These people are my nakama: Nami, Alvida, Zoro, Kuina, Usopp, Sanji, Reiju, Johnny and Yosaku!"

"Pirate King, eh?" Crocus smiled tightly, suddenly realizing who it was standing before him. It was the kid Shanks was gushing to him all about the last time the kid had come through the Twin Capes. "So, who are those guys over there?"

"We're the New Cook Pirates, Crocus-san," Gin introduced himself and his crew.

"New Cook Pirates? Not unlike the Cook Pirates that Zeff captained once?" 'The Harpoon' asked.

"The very same. Master Zeff took a number of my crew under his wing while we were retrieving our ship and the crew wanted to honor him for the service," the New Cook Pirate captain explained.

"Carry that name with pride, you young'uns. If you don't, an execution by the Marines would be the least of your worries if Zeff got his hands on all of you."

"We're well aware," Pearl muttered with a sweatdrop.

"Die old man!" two voices shouted, one of them oddly familiar to Luffy. That declaration was followed by cannon fire. The projectiles the two new assailants launched sailed through the air above Crocus' island, neatly intercepted by two harpoons from the now glaring man. A few more cannonballs sailed through the air from the pair on the nearby platform, but each of the projectiles were intercepted by harpoons flying at impossible speeds.

"Ne? Who are those two?" Kuina muttered as she pulled out her spyglass and pointed it in the direction of the massive door

"One of them feels familiar," the captain said aloud as he leapt into the air and used _Geppō_ to make his way over to where the two figures were, kicking cannonballs into the 'water' below all the while as he came closer and closer to them.

"Miss Wednesday! Are you seeing what I'm seeing?!" the redhead with a crown screamed in fright as Luffy 'hopped' closer.

"Keep firing Mister 9!" the blunette beside him shouted as she seemed to turn the cannon into a fully automatic launcher.

"Stop shooting at me! It's not nice!" Luffy roared as his arms stretched out towards the pairs' light artillery and grabbed onto them. His arms then retracted, his hands crushing the weapons in a fiery explosion before they turned to normal length. Tossing the weapons over his shoulders, ignoring the splashes they made behind and blow him, Straw Hat Luffy landed on the platform the two were standing on and took in their appearance. While the man was odd, what with his funny crown and stylized tattoos on his cheeks, it was the blunette that drew his attention.

"Oro? Have we met before?"

"N-No. I don't think we have," the girl answered while looking away, explicitly avoiding eye contact.

"No. I think we have."

"Of course, we haven't. This is the first time we've met. I'm just you're average, run-of-the-mill bounty hunter!"

"Miss Wednesday, do you know this young gentleman?" Mister 9 asked, nudging her with his elbow.

"Of course not!"

"No, what was it? Six or something years ago? I think I met a princess who looks like you at Reverie."

"I don't look like any princesses!"

"No, I think you do. What was her name again? Bibi? Mimi? Cici?"

"Never heard of any of those princesses before. But like I said before, I don't look like any princess. Especially not Princess Vivi of the Desert Nation of Arabasta!" The blunette quickly slapped her hands over her mouth, eyes wide as stared at Luffy who stared back wide eyed while her Baroque Works partner was slack jawed.

"Y-You…" Luffy stuttered as his jaw went slack and he pointed a finger at the girl.

"H-Hi Luffy-kun."

* * *

Meanwhile back with the rest of Straw-Hat Pirates and the New Cook Pirates, the two crews had temporarily docked at the island in the stomach of Laboon, which they found out to actually be a ship. Currently the former crew and the captain of the latter crew were questioning Crocus about his purposed inside of the Island Whale.

"Over fifty years ago a pirate crew from the West Blue befriended Laboon as an infant. That crew was made up of some of the most fun and music loving men you would have ever met," the doctor of the Roger Pirates spoke, reminiscing about the past once more, a fond smile on his lips. "They had thought they had left him behind in West Blue, for fear that he could not stand the monsters of the Grand Line. But Laboon had followed them here. It was at that time I had met them and after a time I became Laboon's caretaker and guardian. In time, they, the Rumbar Pirates, began their journey down the Grand Line with the promise that in a few years' time they would return." That smile he had quickly turned into a frown as his story continued.

"However, nearly two decades had passed, not one of the crew had attempted to return and not a single peep of the Rumbar Pirates was heard. Five years fast forward and I met the rookie crew of Gol D. Roger."

"Gol D.? I thought it was Gold Roger," Kuina interrupted. Although each of the Straw Hat Pirates had heard Luffy refer to the late Pirate King in that manner, they had thought it was just an odd quirk of his, linking himself to man he wished to surpass. You know, like any fanboy.

"Is that what they're calling the captain now?" Crocus mused idly. He shook his head before continuing. "Anyway, they wanted to recruit me for certain reasons, and I agreed on with the ulterior motive that I could find out what fate befell the Rumbar Pirates. After many misadventures, I had learned that the Rumbar Pirates had escaped the Grand Line through the Calm Belt into South Blue."

"They ran," the New Cook Pirates' captain muttered. While a part of him could understand why they had done so, another part could not understand how a crew like that could go back on their promise with a child. Even if said child was an Island Whale that now dwarfed most islands.

"Indeed. Just goes to show you that even if you know someone, you really don't _know_ them." The doctor sighed, shaking his head in distaste. "Once the captain disbanded the crew, I returned here to tell Laboon what happened to his friends."

"But, if he knows what happened to them, why is he ramming his head against the Red Line?" Nami asked.

"Despite the fact I have told Laboon numerous times about his friends, he refuses to listen to reason. He bellows at the Red Line and bashes his head against it, believing if it weren't for that land mass, his friends would have returned long ago."

"Okay, so I get that," Zoro nodded. "That doesn't explain why the inside of the whale's-"

"Laboon," Alvida corrected.

"Stomach is painted like it is."

"Just call it a doctor's hobby," Crocus smiled.

"And the door?" Kuina indicated, gesturing towards the massive door big enough to fit a galleon through, Johnny and Yosaku nodding in sync.

"That door, and the smaller one beside it, is connected to a larger network of tunnels I've constructed throughout Laboon. Despite me being a capable doctor, Laboon is too big for even my own abilities. This helps me deal with administering the medicine needed to lessen his pain and calm him down."

"So, who were those people firing at you then?" Reiju asked curiously.

"They're bounty hunters from a nearby island that have been trying to slay Laboon for his meat. They would be able feed their island's inhabitants for nearly three years if the meat was preserved properly."

"And how do you know that?" Alvida piped up.

"In my travels, you see many sights. Let's just leave it at that," Crocus finished with a sad shake of his head. "I have stopped them every step of the way. This is their fiftieth attempt the past two months."

"Well, Luffy is dealing with them, so they should be out of your hair soon." The doctor nodded at the orangette, trusting both her words and her faith in her captain.

"AH! I KNEW YOU LOOKED FAMILIAR! IT REALLY IS YOU VIVI!"

"What the hell?" the first mate muttered. All eyes turned the 'flying' Luffy as he leapt through the air with the blunette in his arms bridal style and the redheaded man dangling from his left foot, screaming all the while.

"Another woman," Nami deadpanned, seeing the blush on the other woman's face.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he knew more from before he met all of us," Alvida groused with a cross of the arms.

"A harem," Sanji hissed in jealousy. "He's living every red-blooded man's dream." His sister's hand impacted the back of his head for that comment, followed by a slap to each cheek from Nami and Alvida, and then finished off by a fan to the face by the resident swordmistress. "Ah! The honeys of the crew are so cute when they're angry!" the blonde cried out as he danced about with hearts in his eyes.

"Stupid love-cook," Zoro grunted as Reiju grabbed her brother by the nose and tweaked it.

"So, who is this Luffy-aniki?" Johnny asked as the rest of the Straw Hats and one New Cook Pirate gathered around the Foosha native.

"This is Vivi," Luffy snickered as the blunette clambered out of his arms. "Princess of Arabasta."

"Ah, she's a princess," Alvida deadpanned.

"Any other nobles from your past you wanna tell us about Luffy?" the orangette questioned, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Hmmm? Nope, not that I can remember."

"Well it's probably nothing- LIKE I'D BELIEVE THAT!" the two women cried out as they shook Luffy, surprising the now identified princess.

"Wait, Princess Vivi? Didn't you disappear like two years ago or something?" Reiju interjected curiously.

"Some news sources speculated that you had been killed as well, Vivi-hime," her brother pointed out.

"Tales of my death have been wildly exaggerated," the princess replied sheepishly.

"S-So where have you been then p-princess, i-if that's t-too much to ask?" Usopp asked with all the courage he could muster. He was after all talking to a princess. How could everyone else- wait, Johnny and Yosaku were standing stock still at attention with their arms at their sides with a look of concentration on their faces. Well, at least Usopp was not the only one freaking out about meeting a princess.

"As important as this tale sounds, I suggest we move your two ships out of here. We are inside of an Island Whale's stomach after all." Everyone balked at that, having forgotten that important detail. They would all blame it on Luffy's antics however, as his blatant disregard for serious details seemed to have rubbed off on them a little bit.

"Raise anchor you louts!" Gin roared as he made his way back to the Molotov.

"C'mon Vivi! I'll show you our ship!" Luffy laughed as he grabbed his navigator, helmswoman and the princess and jumped into the air in the direction of Merry, snickering to himself while the three women yelled in fright.

"Let's go guys," the first mate of the Straw Hat Pirates ordered, walking at a sedate pace toward the crew's ship. Mr. 9 was of course trailing after them, thanking the stars that the pirates said nothing as he boarded their ship. Looking around he tried to find his partner but was accosted by the green haired young man. "If you're going to hitch a ride with us, you're going to kept under watch by this guy." The man threw a thumb over the young man in the yellow shorts. "And you'll be helping us in the meantime until we get to where you need to go."

"What about Miss Wednesday? We're supposed to report back to Whiskey Peak in five days' time."

"If she joins you, she joins you. If she doesn't, that's none of your business now is it?" And with that the conversation was ended, the first mate making his way into the hold before reemerging with paddles and handing one off to Mr. 9 and Johnny. "Row you louts. Let's get the hell out of here."

Mr. 9 grumbled a little bit before going over to the portside of the ship and dropping the wider end of the paddle into the 'water' below. He rowed in beat with the other man rowing, his mind not even paying attention to the world around him. The Baroque Works Frontier Agent was instead contemplating the fact that the agent he had worked nearly two long years with was in fact the princess of the country their very organization was attempting a coup on. Honestly, why would the princess, Vivi, join the organization attempting to usurp the throne right out from beneath her father, a man that Baroque works was actively smearing with lies and false rumors with extreme prejudice?

There was no way she would have joined a shady to destroy her home. That left only one reason: she had infiltrated the Baroque Works to uncover the person behind the systematic destruction of her beloved homeland. But Baroque Work prized their anonymity and secrecy above all else, including the lives of its own members at times. Which would mean only one thing for Miss Wednesday- no, Princess Vivi. Even if she was the princess of Arabasta, he knew her first and foremost as his partner in crime. There was no way he was going to abandon her, even if it killed him.

"Unfurl the sails! Unfurl the sails!" the orangette cried out.

"Withdraw the oars!" Zoro ordered. It had seemed in Mr. 9's musing, the ship he was on had already cleared the metal passages inside of the Island Whale. Withdrawing the oar from the side of the ship, Mr. 9 followed after the other impromptu oarsman into the hold, his minder following all the while.

"Furl sails! Furl sails!" he heard the woman cry out once more. Once he and the other two swordsmen returned to the main deck, they saw that the other ship was pulling up to their ship's stern, pulling parallel to one of the capes. A quant lighthouse stood as if a sentry for all to see when they enter the Grand Line, its twin resting on the opposing cape.

"Drop anchor!" Zoro cried out once the _Going Merry_ came to rest near the cape. Johnny had gone into the cabin to withdraw the gangplank while they were pulling up to the cape, dropping it down once the ship had stabilized.

"If you kids will follow me, I can set up a little meal to commemorate your making it to Paradise," Crocus told the Straw Hat Pirates once he rejoined the pirates.

"If you can provide us with the tableware and such, Kin and I can cook up a feast," Sanji interjected as he threw a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of one of the New Cook Pirates, a man a few years younger than Gin who was in fact his younger brother.

"Suit yourselves," the doctor shrugged. "I'll need some help getting enough tables, chairs and utensils though."

"Johnny, Yosaku, and… who are you again?" Zoro trailed off as he was delegating the work to his crew.

"I'm Mr. 9."

"Kyū will help you out Ossan," the Executive Officer of the Straw Hat Pirates finished. He ignored the indignant shout and glare from the now nicknamed 'Kyū'.

It took about thirty minutes before everyone was situated on the cape, the New Cook Pirates making the usual ruckus about eating Sanji 'fan-fucking-tastic, fine food', int their words. Sanji had of course worked Kin like the fierce chef he was, barking out instructions that frazzled the older man's senses. Of course, the blonde had to kick a few of the New Cook Pirates when they got a tad too fresh with his sister while she was serving up the finished food. None too hard of course, since they were hungry fools. He would kick them harder though once they were fed though. Reiju of course had dealt a few blows to the rowdy crew: a twisted arm, firmly pinched hand or a kick to the unmentionables in the extreme cases.

Once everyone had dishes before them, Luffy of course having enough for ten people, did Sanji excuse Kin to join his crew for the feast. The blonde pulled out a cigarette, lit it and took a drag before exhaling, extinguishing the fires they had used to prepare the feast. He made his way over to where the rest of his crew, Gin and Pearl were sitting with Mr. 9, Vivi and Crocus.

"I'd like to reintroduce myself," Vivi began after they had finished with the proper table etiquette. "My name is Nefertari Vivi, Princess of the Desert Nation of Arabasta. As you had pointed out earlier, I disappeared from the eyes of the public two years ago. The reason why was because I had infiltrated Baroque Works in hopes of finding out why this criminal organization heard only in whispers was doing in my country. A part of me knew that they were involved in the growing unrest in Arabasta, but I never knew that they were the true masterminds behind the whole thing."

"Is that why I didn't see you and your Oyaji at Reverie?" Luffy spoke around a steak. "Not once did the Nefertari family miss Reverie since its inception over eight-hundred years ago."

"Yes, ever since the Dance Powder-" That drew Luffy short, as the pirate gaped at Vivi, surprising everyone since it was almost impossible to get him to stop eating. "Was discovered in the Royal Palace nearly two years ago, Arabasta has been in a state of unrest. That unrest transformed into distrust of the throne when several villages seemingly disappeared over night and oases dried up one after another. Several thousands of my people have died as a result. What appeared to stabilize the situation though was arrival of Shichibukai Crocodile."

"Wait, Crocodile is in Arabasta?!" Luffy shouted out loud, momentarily deafening Nami and Alvida, who were sitting to his side. They of course slapped him upside the head for that, yelling all the while.

"He's got a bounty two times more than Luffy-aniki's!" Yosaku and Johnny shouted in fright.

"Indeed, he does," the princess agreed before carrying on from where she left off. "But that was the situation on surface. Information gathered by the intelligence branch of the royal army had uncovered disturbing news. A criminal organization with ties to bounty hunters from Cactus Island to the Sabaody Archipelago was found to have set up within our country. And that's when the situation for Arabasta went downhill. The situation is so dire that a state of emergency has been declared and some people are calling it a full-blown civil war."

"No. No this can't be happening again. That tragedy can't be repeating." The Straw Hats and New Cook Pirates all felt the oppressive force coming down on them, their eyes drawing to the source: Luffy. Even Laboon, who had wandered over to the cape to observe the human who wanted to be his friend felt something he had not felt in a long time: fear.

"L-Luffy, calm down. P-Please. You're scaring me," Nami muttered as she reached for his free hand.

"Calm down, please Luffy. It's not like you to get like this," their helmswoman spoke up as she too grasped his other free hand. After a few moments waiting in tense silence, watching the two-hundred million Beri man take in deep breaths, everyone could finally breath once more when his shoulders slumped, and he shot to two girls at his sides a beaming smile.

"Luffy-kun? What did you mean by tragedy? And again?" The princess had never once seen Luffy so mad, so tense as if he were a wound-up spring ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.

"Have any of you heard of the Tragedy of Dressrosa?"

"Who hasn't?" his navigator began. "The kind king of Dressrosa one night makes a demand of his people to gather up ten-billion Beri for no reason. The people did so without question, as they had lived under his just and peaceful rule, passed down through the generations. But then suddenly Riku Doldo III began to attack his very people, the Royal Dressrosa Army following his actions and slaying countless innocent people. It was then, as if out if nowhere, that Donquixote Doflamingo, the Heavenly Yaksha, appeared and defeated the mad king. Less than a year later, Doflamingo would ascend the throne of Dressrosa, with the disgraced Doldo being executed not long after."

"That's the official story anyway," Luffy muttered quietly. Everyone froze at that nugget of knowledge, eyes wide as they zeroed in on their captain. "You remember what I told Nezumi a few weeks ago?" Nods all around were his answer. "Dressrosa is another one of those coverup stories the World Government and the Marines don't want the world to know about."

"How is that Luffy-kun?"

"Dressrosa was one of the founding members of the World Government, its royal family ascending to Mary Geoise along with eighteen of the other nineteen founding members."

"What about the last one?" Usopp asked as he sipped his Oolong Tea to slake his parched throat.

"You're looking at one of it's members." Everyone slowly turned towards Vivi, who Luffy had motioned toward with a nod of his head. The blunette blushed as she ducked her head, nodding once in embarrassment at having that aspect of her bloodline. When she looked back up at Luffy, she saw none of the judging looks she had become accustomed to receiving from people who found out she had that blood flowing through her. "While the other members thought that ascending would purify them, allowing them to become better rulers, the Nefertari reasoned that being amongst the people and ruling amongst them would allow them to be better rulers. They thus split from the other nineteen founding members… one of those being the Donquixote family."

"You mean that one of the Shichibukai is a fucking Tenryūbito!" everyone exclaimed save for Vivi and Crocus, the former already drawing the same conclusions that Luffy had come to. The latter however was stoic, watching the situation with curiosity, wondering what the young captain would do if his intuition was indeed true.

"Former," Luffy corrected. "His father abandoned his position in branch of the Donquixote, bringing his wife and two young children with him when he descended from Mary Geoise. No one knows what happened to the family in between that time and the time Doflamingo reemerged as a pirate, but it is presumed that that branch of the Donquixote family went extinct."

"That doesn't explain what why you went berserk for no reason or what the Donquixote have to…" Usopp trailed off as realization dawned on his face.

"The Donquixote family were the original rulers of Dressrosa." Vivi clenched her fists, realizing that, _yes_ , Luffy was right. A tragedy had happened on the other side of the world, one that seemed to be repeating in her very own home. And if history saw fit to repeat itself, that meant her very people were going to be collateral in Crocodile's plans for her country, whatever they were. And her father, she shuddered to think what would happen to her beloved father.

"So, you're saying that this Doflamingo was behind the entire thing? That's kind of a stretch Luffy, even for the Grand Line," Zoro scoffed as he kicked back on his chair and picked his teeth.

"Feet off the table Mosshead," Sanji grumbled as he kicked the swordsman's chair out from beneath him. Everyone ignored their argument that soon devolved into a small brawl.

"Not when you know that he's eaten the Ito-Ito no Mi." The small glare that Luffy leveled on Zoro just showed how displeased he was with the whole situation.

"What's the ability to control threads got to do with this Luffy-aniki," the comms officer of the Straw Hats asked.

"How do you control puppets?" That drew everyone short as they tried to understand why Luffy asked that question. However, it slowly dawned on Vivi's face what that exactly meant. Nami and Alvida were quick to catch on, last of two the fairer sex drawing the same conclusion too. Sanji and Gin were the next to catch on and their gnashed teeth displayed their displeasure as well. The three swordsman and one sniper were the last to catch on, the green haired man scowling as he stared into the sky.

"You mean all of it, every single action taken by the kind Doldo and his royal army were caused by a Shichibukai. But, but why?" Alvida questioned as she stared at Vivi in pity.

"Power, that's all people like them seek. Power for the sake of power," their captain spat with such vitriol that nobody could believe such contempt could come from Luffy. "Guys like that don't deserve to be called pirates."

"Unfortunately, Luffy we're the exception to what the world defines as pirates. According to the world pirates are nothing more than brigands on the seas, killing, stealing and trafficking as they please without care for the lives of their victims."

"That is not what a pirate is supposed to be Nami!" her lover ground out as he grit his teeth. "A pirate is a person who chases their dreams! Grand adventures, roaring music, endless feasts, and infinite freedom should fill their every day! It's because of the existence of pirates like that, who steal the lives of innocent people and rob the survivors of their freedoms, that I almost thought of becoming a Marine."

"We're all very thankful that you decided to be a pirate though Luffy." At Nami's statement everyone could not help but grin at that and their captain.

"So, Crocodile is the leader of Baroque Works, Miss Wednesday?"

"Yes. I spent nearly two long years attempting to uncover Mr. 0's identity. Before we left on our whaling expedition- sorry about that by the way-" Crocus merely waved her off, having forgiven her a while ago. "I had tailed Mr. 0's partner, Miss All Sunday, to uncover his identity. A part of me realized it was too good to be true. More than likely one of the Officer Agents will be dispatched soon for Whiskey Peak on Cactus Island to eliminate me and Igaram."

"Oro, Curls-Ossan joined you too?" Luffy asked as he scratched his head.

"Don't let Igaram hear you call him that Luffy-kun." Vivi giggled behind her hand. "And yes, he did. A month after I disappeared Igaram seemed to know where had gone and tracked me down. Mr. 9, you probably know Igaram better as Mr. 8."

"So, we're headed to Whiskey Peak then?" the future pirate king asked as he downed steak after steak at blistering speeds.

"Just so you know, once you lock in which island you want to head towards there's no going back, right?" the doctor asked lazily as he finished off his steak. "Are you absolutely sure this is the path you want down?"

"Absolutely Crocus-Ossan," the young captain answered with a toothy grin. "Even if this wasn't a national crisis with hundreds of thousands of lives on the line, I would have helped Vivi regardless. We're nakama after all." Luffy arched an eyebrow and turned to Vivi. "Vivi? Why's there an otter riding a vulture." The captain had taken to passively keeping his _Kenbun-shoku no Haki_ active after reuniting with Vivi. It would not do for Luffy to be caught unawares, even if it took away some of the mystery of the adventure. He was on the Grand Line after all, and he had no idea when he would run into any of the Marine Headquarters Vice-Admirals or Sea-forbid an Admiral or his crazy ass grandfather.

"Urk!" Mr. 9 gasped as he fell backwards in his chair.

"They're the Unluckies! Mr. 13 and Miss Friday!"

"He seriously went with the Friday the Thirteenth pun?" Zoro sweatdropped.

"Wasn't it a smart idea to turn them down years ago Zoro-kun?" his childhood friend giggled.

"They're messengers of Baroque Works and deal with the internal affairs of the organization. They also deal with executing members who fail their missions."

"So… the two of you then?" Usopp said, pointing to Princess Vivi and Mr. 9.

"Yep," the princess swallowed.

"Someone wanna take them out?" Mumbles were heard all around the table from his crewmates, the New Cook Pirates grumbling about not even being on the same level as Usopp of all people. "How about this then? Most creative way to knock them out of the sky get's a favor from me!" It was at that moment Luffy realized he had unleashed a monster, or in this case monsters.

"Cumulonimbus clouds have been spotted in the vicinity of the twin capes! Static charge in the air is currently unbalanced! All flights should fly to lower altitudes to avoid sudden, erratic lightning!" Nami had already constructed her Clima-Tact and had summoned several dozen Cool and Heat Balls into the air, a sizable storm cloud already forming above the animal pair. Alvida had found a sizable boulder and after judging it suitable had taken a position beside it a practiced a few swings before striking it with all her might, her aim appearing to be on point.

"Fore!" Alvida cried out.

Usopp had drawn his Kabuto slingshot and had released a Firebird Star, the mythical firebird screeching into life as it shot towards the vulture and otter.

" _Santōryū: Tatsumaki_!" Zoro cried out as he lined up his three swords and spun them, a tornado of air coming forth from his swords, a dragon seemingly forming halfway to the airborne otter and its partner.

" _Kaiyūhanaryū: Kiku no Hana_!" the lookout stated as she spun _Wadō_ _Ichimonji_ around her body, leaving behind after images that turned thirty-two air blades around her in a concentric formation. The air blades spun around her a full rotation before pointing forward and flying forward with startling speed.

" _Diable Jambe_!" the chef of the Straw Hat Pirates finished as he stopped spinning, his leg seemingly on fire. Using _Geppō_ to launch himself into the air before lashing out with his leg, the expectant _Rankyaku_ turning into blade of fire. " _Couteau Brûlant!_ "

" _Baiser Empoisonné_!" the pinkette called out as she blew a kiss that summoned a cloud of fuchsia colored gas. Drawing the gas Reiju allowed it to solidify in her hands into three-meter spear that she twirled in her hands before throwing at speeds slightly slower than Crocus' own harpoons. " _Lance au Cyanure_!"

"Eight points for form. Eight for execution. Seven for speed." The former Roger Pirate scored as he held up a scorecard with an 8, Johnny holding up an 8 and Yosaku holding up the 7 scored board. Reiju merely smiled demurely while taking a short bow.

Seeing the oncoming attacks headed their way, the vulture attempted to bank right. However right as Miss Friday began the course correction Kuina's attack intercepted Alvida's boulder. The two attacks seemed to combine, the swords encasing themselves in rock. Zoro's attack soon caught up and sent the encased air blades corkscrewing forward at insane rates. The Cyanide Lance, Firebird Star and Burning Knife caught up as well, turning the weapons into a poisonous conflagration.

"Thunderbolt Tempo!" Nami cried out as she swung the Clima-Tact down. Several thunderbolts flew down from the darkened cloud, one of the striking the vulture and otter and seemingly suspending them in air for a few moments. Those extra seconds were enough as the lightning struck the combination attack, finishing the combined Straw Hat Pirate attack.

"STRAW HAT COMBINATION ATTACK: GRAND LINE DEMONSTRATION!" the seven Straw Hat Pirates cried out at the combination struck the Mr. 13 and Miss Friday pair. As the Straw Hat Pirates watched the explosion caused by the colliding attack, the New Cook Pirates, save for Gin, had slack jaws and wide eyes, Mr. 9 doing a stronger impression of a goldfish. Vivi was staring at all of them in amazement, wondering where her friend had found such a diverse cast of crewmates. Crocus and Gin were smirking in approval, the latter nodding to himself that this was expected of the crew that sailed under the future Pirate King. The former Roger Pirate's glasses shined in the light of the explosion, believing maybe that Shanks kid was right.

"So, who won?" the seven crewmembers asked as they looked over at their captain, each wondering forming an idea in their mind what they would want Luffy to do for them.

"SO COOL!"

"Wait, what?" Usopp muttered.

"That attack was so cool! That attack was cool! COOL! COOL! SO COOL! SO COOL!"

"What the hell is that Shitty Rubber Captain talking about?" Sanji said as he took a drag of his cigarette.

"Everyone won, Sanji," Nami pointed out.

"It's kinda obvious Sanji-san," Alvida interjected.

"Everyone's combination attack was so cool! Everyone on my crew gets a favor from me." He snickered as he threw a thumb at Johnny and Yosaku. "Except these two."

"Well sorry if we're not monsters like everyone else Luffy-aniki!" Johnny cried out.

"Yeah! We're only normal human swordsmen!" the other swordsman agreed. Both screamed in terror when a pipe was thrust near their heads, the two men falling to their sides as Luffy appeared over them with a pipe in hand, the elbow piece breaking the rock the near each man's head.

"You're on the future Pirate King's crew! That means the both of you are gonna be legends! And legends ain't weaklings you hear!" The captain laughed loudly. "It's training time you bunch of fools!" He turned his head to New Cook Pirates. "You lot too!" Luckily, everyone had finished their meals or else Luffy would be getting an earful from his chef.

"Eh?!"

"That slack jaw's gonna get broken!" And with that Luffy scattered the New Cook Pirates and began to attack them with impunity.

"Crocus-san?" The doctor turned to the orangette, raising an eyebrow in question. "So Luffy explained to me that the Log Pose records the magnetic signatures of the island it's on and then adjusts to the next island in the line. My question is, have these magnetic lines ever… jumped to a different island in the line?"

"Only once every one-hundred years from what I've read," Crocus supplied.

"Are the lines the Log Pose follows completely locked in once the Log Pose sets, or can they lock onto a different island on the Grand Line afterwards?"

"They can, but that's only if you wander into that island's magnetic sphere of influence. Theoretically you can set out from an island before the Log Pose sets, and hope it locks onto another island's magnetic line, but that is a very risky gamble, as I'm sure you'll find out soon enough."

"Not even a hint about why the Log Pose is designed like this?" Nami pleaded, looking down at the innocuous object tied to her wrist.

"You seem like a smart girl. I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Don't worry Nami!" The bearer of said name turned to see Luffy blur into existence in the middle of a large ring of exhausted pirates. "I have faith in you! You are of course going to be the woman who'll map the whole, wide world! You're also the greatest navigator in the world, don't forget that!" He flashed her a smile before batting a few of the New Cook Pirates with a _Gomu Gomu no Muchi_ before turning and blocking a combined cross slash from Yosaku and Johnny. The pair could barely widen their eyes in panic before their captain grabbed Yosaku's face and tossed him bodily over his head before leaping up and roundhouse kicking the swordsman fifteen meters away. "Let's hear those bones break! That's how you know you're getting stronger!"

"How does broken bones prove we're getting stronger?!" Pearl cried out face down on the ground.

"Because what doesn't kill you makes you stronger! Shishishishi!"

"There's no way a normal person could survive this!" one of the New Cook Pirates shouted in both pain and annoyance.

"That just means it's doing its job!"

"So Vivi, how exactly do I lock in the Log Pose for Cactus Island?"

"Since there are seven starting islands there are seven notches on the Log Pose that indicate which island it has locked it. But it's only locked in for a full hour while at the Twin Capes, cycling through every time unless manually locked in afterwards. It takes an observant eye to distinguish which island is which on the Log Pose however so I think we'll be here for a wh-"

"I have the heading for Cactus Island!" Nami proclaimed proudly.

"That was fast!"

"I told you she was good Vivi! She is the greatest navigator ever!" Monkey D. Luffy gushed as he once more appeared on the scene after having thrashed his sparring partners for ten minutes straight. "So, we have our heading?" her captain asked excitedly.

"We're ready to go when you are Luffy!" she smiled back.

"I take you don't want to join us Crocus-Ossan?"

"Pirating is a for the kids. I'm in my seventies now, so I'm not as limber as I once was."

"Limber enough to launch harpoons like nothing at fucking cannonballs," Mr. 9 grumbled under his breath, not really believing the excuse for a second.

"Besides, I think you'll find what you're looking for if you continue your journey, young man. Don't forget to say goodbye to Laboon…"

"Oh yeah!" With that Luffy vanished from where he was standing and reappeared in front of Laboon's eye. "So, are you gonna be my friend, you never did give me an answer?"

" _You really want to be Laboon's friend?_ "

"You bet!" Luffy smiled wide when he saw the whale begin to tear up in joy.

" _Y-You won't leave Laboon like they did? Will you?_ " the Island Whale blub- ern- babbled.

"I'm the man that will become the Pirate King. If I can't keep a single promise to my friends, I don't deserve to be a pirate, let alone Pirate King. I'll even give you proof of our bond!"

What Luffy proceeded to paint on Laboon's head could be considered as a surrealist's rendition of the Straw Hat Pirates Jolly Roger. Everyone tilted their heads to the side, Crocus included, and sweatdropped as they tried to understand what exactly it was that Luffy had painted on Laboon.

"This is proof of our bond! And because it's not a tattoo, it'll come off if you ram your head against the Red Line! So, don't do that, okay!"

" _I won't! Thank you, friend!_ "

"Set sail you louts!" Gin ordered once Luffy was done saying his goodbyes to the Island Whale. "You followed what Lady Nami told you, right Lux?" the captain asked as he turned to their crew's navigation officer. The young man nodded as he snapped to attention.

"Yes! I will not fail you Captain Gin!"

"See that you don't," the Demon Man muttered as he dismissed the man. 'I've heard tales of how utterly insane the journey to the first island of the Grand Line is.' The man scoffed to himself. 'Pirate Graveyard… Paradise… It doesn't matter what this part of the Grand Line is called or what the other part is called. Don Luffy will conquer the Grand Line and will be the Pirate King. We need to support him and his crew every step of the way.'

"Set sail everyone!" Luffy cheered as he made his way back to the _Going Merry_. He had once more grabbed his navigator and helmswoman in one arm and Vivi in the other and dragged them along with him onto their ship. The two siblings, the sniper, three swordsmen and one swordswoman made their way over their ship, Yosaku keeping his eyes on Mr. 9 all the while as the Baroque Works agent joined the crew.

" _We'll meet again friend!_ " Laboon bellowed as the _Going Merry_ and the _Flaming Molotov_ departed from the Twin Capes for Cactus Island its only town, Whiskey Peak.

"Watch out Paradise! Here we come!" Luffy bellowed as he stood on the _Going Merry_ 's ram head, one hand on his hip and another pointing forward.

* * *

"Sabo." Said blonde turned his head from his paperwork to where Dragon was staring intently at a report in his hand. "The situation in Arabasta seems to be getting worse. From what Arno has reported it seems that the rebels have been gaining considerable ground as the weeks have passed. Civil unrest is also reaching an all new high from the news reports as well."

"That doesn't make sense though!" The scarred young man turned to his partner, Koala, as she spoke up. "Nefertari Cobra comes from considerable line of pacifistic peace lovers! Not once in that dynasty's considerable line has there ever been a despot, not since the founder's brother that was overthrown! There is no way this should be conceivably be happening!"

"And yet it is." That one statement seemed to deflate Koala, taking the wind out of her sails. "The past doesn't matter in respect to the present for humans are fickle creatures. To transcend past that is to become a better human, to understand what it means to live a just, honorable, self-disciplined, and honest life without doubt. Until that time comes humans will continue to betray one another."

"R-right." Sabo laid a hand on her shoulder and squeezed a little, drawing a small smile from her. He nodded at her before dropping his hand and turning back to The Revolutionary.

"If you frame it properly, you can see that there are several piece missing from the picture that is this conflict. One that we seemed to have found is this: Baroque Works." At that shadowy organization's name all in the senior staff room sat a little bit straighter. That group, along with its 'sister' organization, the Underworld, had long evaded the best spy's and codebreakers the Revolutionary Army had set out to uncover their sphere of power. At best they only had hearsay and tidbits of information, not enough to form a concrete picture of either organization. To find out that Baroque Works was now operating in Arabasta was an outstanding surprise. "With that piece of the puzzle, it further explains the disappearance of the kingdom's princess, Nefertari Vivi. Using biographical information and hearsay from the kingdom, as a princess of the people she more than likely infiltrated the organization, attempting to uncover the plot to destroy her beloved country. It also explains the disappearance of the Captain of the Royal Guards, Igaram of the House of Ra. Rumors say that he dotted upon the princess, since he and his wife saw her as the daughter they could never have after a complication with their first pregnancy." The detached nature that Dragon spoke of the situation was like discussing the weather for anyone else. But it was a quirk that everyone in the upper echelons of the Revolutionary Army had become used to. Afterall, he had earned that right.

"What do you need me to do?" Sabo asked as he stood from his chair and donned his jacket.

"Take Koala with you and meet up with Arno and hand him this letter." The blonde nodded his head and took the offered letter. "The two of you are to then ascertain the scope of the situation. I trust that the two of you can keep a low profile?" Nods from the two Revolutionary Officers were received. "Good. If you find the crown princess, you are to only approach her under the direst of circumstances. That island is after all one of the twenty founders of the World Government."

"We'll be like ghosts the entire time Dragon."

"See that you are." And with that the two Revolutionary officers departed the room. Their destination the Eternal Pose Repository and then armory. From there they would charter a route to Arabasta. They would of course have to take the long way to cover their trail, the route more than likely taking two to three weeks.

* * *

"Why exactly are we here again Ace?"

"I'm tracking down a traitor." A pause from the Second Division Commander occurred. "The question is, what are you still doing with me, Ms. Marine." His traveling companion of course was not dressed in her Marine Whites, nor was she wearing her Marine Coat. Instead the redhead was wearing green and brown camouflage pants and a black cotton shirt. The ever-present band-aid on her left cheek was in its usual spot though. Ensign Isuka was not a fool. There was no way she would stay a Marine if it got back to headquarters that she was seen in the company of an infamous one billion Beri wanted man.

"My division has been intercepting more chatter of a Blackbeard as of late. That figure has been rumored to have been operating in the New World and connected to the theft of several ancient artifacts worth several millions each. A Poneglyph that was being transported from one of the Marine controlled islands in the New World to Marineford was reported to have seemingly disappeared, swallowed by a mysterious dark power."

"Blackbeard…"

"It was not until recently that my Branch connected the name to a face. It seems the man had finally slipped up and couldn't properly cover his tracks… or he deliberately did so." Isuka peered over at her flame, literal and emotional, and noted his clenched fist. "A seemingly innocuous member of the Whitebeard Pirates under your very command."

"That traitorous bastard is anything but 'innocuous'. If that darkness that stole that pony-thing is anything to go by, that is the power of the Yami Yami no Mi he slew one of our brothers for two months ago."

"And that is exactly why I tracked you down Ace. The fleet that was carrying the Poneglyph consisted of fifteen Battleship class Galleons with a Vice-Admiral leading with fifteen Rear Admirals. Ace, the entire fleet was wiped out and every Marine was slaughtered, save for the Vice-Admiral himself who is in intensive care right now. Ace, it was Vice-Admiral Bastille and he more than likely won't be cleared for another two months!" The son of the late Pirate King stared at his friend(?)… flame(?)… nuisance(?)… yeah, that… he stared at her wide eyed, remembering the times he had encountered the Vice-Admirals and ranking Bastille near the top of the list of strongest Vice-Admirals. Of courses Tsuru-Baasan and Garp-Oyaji easily eclipsed all the others, but that was a moot point, as they were from Fleet Admiral Sengoku's generation. But to hear that Bastille was in that critical of a condition drew Ace short. Could Teach be that strong?

No.

None of that mattered Ace decided. He needed to find Teach and beat into the traitor's head the consequences of breaking the one and only rule of the Whitebeard Pirates.

"Isuka, none of that matters. I need to find him. Teach was under my command. He is my responsibility." Paying for his drinks, Portgas D. Ace stood from his stool and exited the bar. The disguised Marine did as well, quickly catching up to the man.

"Ace, I tracked you down because I know you would do something reckless! I won't let you throw your life away!"

"Isuka! I need to do this!" the raven head hissed as he picked up his pace. "I can't let Thatch's murderer get away!"

"Ace! Don't be an idiot!" The Whitebeard Commander summarily ignored the woman, trotting down the town's pier towards his raft, the Striker. "Please! Don't do this!"

"Isuka! Either get on or stay out of my business from now on!" His pursuer stood on the pier, staring at the man in front of her, his foot tapping impatiently. "Well!" Ace was not surprised when Isuka leapt from the platform and onto his raft.

"It's the job of the Marines to keep an eye on pirates, especially one as dangerous as you Ace!" Said man smirked as used the power of his Akuma no Mi to fire up the flame engine on his raft.

"Keep tellin' yourself that, Isuka. You just can't stay away from this handsome devil."

"You aren't that handsome Ace."

"Name a more handsome guy."

"Marco."

"That turkey!"

* * *

Far away in the New World, a certain Whitebeard Commander sneezed as he was going over paperwork for the crew.

"Why do I have the urge to kick Ace's ass?" The Mythical Zoan carrier shrugged his shoulders as he stamped an 'Approved' on a file. "Eh, I'll kick his ass the next time I see him anyway, yoi."

* * *

 **I am still alive. And no. I don't own One Piece.**


End file.
